In the city of Xuzhou, all walks of life gathered together and their stars flickered. When Feng Yuxiang arrived, the Central Government of Nanjing and the Central Party Committee of the Kuomintang built a great momentum and electrified the whole country. Chinese and foreign reporters flocked to the event. People all over the world had a premonition of the coming of the two major forces in the north and south of China.
The meeting will play an immeasurable role in China's future direction.
Since the evening of the 19th, the agenda of the meeting between Jiang and Feng was in full swing. The security was extremely tight, and basically no valuable news was released. An Yi was scheduled to hold a press conference during the meeting on the 20th, and he was eagerly waiting for it.
Reporters from all walks of life were in a panic when they learned that General An Yi, the famous Northern Expedition general who was in great power, held a press conference. How could they miss such a good opportunity, especially since the shocking remarks made by An Yi at the Bengbu press conference not long ago were partially fulfilled, and
Within three days of his reinstatement, he shockingly captured the Si County Lingbi, which made An Yi's news value and appeal increasingly high. Many newspapers even described An Yi as a legendary figure in troubled times.
Reporters gathered in the lobby on the first floor of the Garden Hotel. An Yi, Yin Jinan, and Liu Shoujiang, all dressed in military uniforms, appeared on stage accompanied by General Liu Wendao, deputy director of the Political Training Department, and Major General Kang Ze, staff officer of the Attendant's Office, and all headed forward.
After saluting, more than a hundred reporters sat on the rostrum.
The press conference was hosted by Kang Ze. General Liu Wendao first informed reporters of the good news that the Chiang Kai-shek talks with Feng had reached many consensuses, and then focused on the political significance and revolutionary confidence of the Northern Expedition.
Liu Shoujiang then read out the petition for challenge from more than 10,000 officers and soldiers of the independent division as the party representative of the Independent Division of the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army. This guy was good at writing and eloquent. The petition of more than 500 words made him feel passionate when he read it.
It won warm applause from the reporters present.
The next round of answering reporters' questions became the stage for An Yi and Yin Jinan. Yin Jinan was down-to-earth and didn't speak much, but answered rigorously, thoughtfully and with determination. An Yi's language was plain and humorous, bringing bursts of laughter to the reporters from time to time.
A reporter asked An Yi what he knew about General Feng Yuxiang. An Yi immediately praised Feng Yuxiang's hard work and simplicity, and his love for soldiers like his son. According to Kang Ze's request before the meeting, he called General Feng Yuxiang a pioneer of the revolution.
After admiring and admiring General Feng Yuxiang for being a model soldier, having the world in mind and the overall situation in mind, he immediately became a firm believer in the Three People's Principles with a firm revolutionary stance, superhuman political wisdom and military strategist talent.
Kang Ze and Liu Wendao, who knew An Yi's true views, were extremely emotional after hearing An Yi's words, and suddenly felt that it might be more fruitful to let An Yi change his career to politics.
Reporters from patriotic newspapers such as "Morning Post" and "The Times" specifically asked An Yi questions about Japanese issues, and immediately received an enthusiastic response from An Yi. For the first time, An Yi showed his rich knowledge in economics to the outside world, starting from the revitalization of Japan.
When the nation talks about boycotting Japanese goods, it rises from the urgency of tariff independence to the height of national independence and self-esteem. The expression is frank, plain and easy to understand. Through each living example of grief and indignation, the ambition and cruelty of Japanese imperialism are fully exposed.
According to the propaganda caliber of the Central Party Committee, as a revolutionary soldier, he loudly warned the Japanese troops to withdraw from Jinan immediately and stop their invasion of China's sacred land.
Finally, An Yi, who was so excited, stood up suddenly and issued a warning to Zhang Zuolin, the warlord of the Feng faction:
"If it's convenient for my friends, please convey a few words of advice to Commander-in-Chief Zhang Zuolin on my behalf. Don't do things that make your relatives happy and your enemies happy. The Chinese people's affairs should be solved by the Chinese people themselves. Don't leave any lasting legacy for your own selfish interests.
It's okay to get a bad name and lure the wolf into the house. You must never do stupid things like helping the tyrants to do harm. Most of them are for the sake of your own descendants and their descendants.
Marshal Zhang has experienced great storms and waves in his military life, and he will never forget the philosophical words left by his ancestors: The birds are all good and the bows are hidden, and the cunning rabbits are dead and the lackeys are cooked! The Japanese will not have any pity for the lackeys in their eyes.
One day the effectiveness of Zhang Dashuai's lackey will be reduced, or if he turns his fangs to reveal his unwillingness and anger when the Japanese feed him, he may be slaughtered and cooked by the sinister and despicable Japanese!"
As soon as he said this, the whole hall exclaimed, but An Yi sat down very satisfied, picked up the tea cup and took a sip, looking extremely comfortable.
Liu Wendao turned to An Yi beside him and whispered: "You are sensationalizing again. Stop talking about Japan. Otherwise, you will go off topic. Go back to the Northern Expedition."
An Yi leaned close to Liu Wendao and laughed in a low voice: "With you here, the junior is much more relaxed. The senior is proficient in Japanese, French and English. When reporters ask questions later, senior can just change the meaning when he translates to the junior? The answer is wrong.
A diplomatic tactic, right?"
Liu Wendao couldn't help but grin, shook his head and turned to Kang Ze to signal to continue.
The reporters were very satisfied with the two-hour press conference. Except for the sensitive and important issue of the Jiang-Feng talks, which was not answered because it was ongoing, other issues related to the Northern Expedition, the relationship with the Wuhan government, the boycott of Japanese goods, and military-civilian relations
, the development trend of military construction and other questions have been answered relatively clearly.
At the meeting, the erudite Liu Wendao and the funny and frank An Yi stole the show. Kang Ze, a young political figure in the military, made his debut and won praise from the outside world for his calm, rigorous and meticulous style. Yin Jinan and
The performance of the two young generals Liu Shoujiang also left a deep impression on the reporters, who generally expressed admiration for the excellent qualities of the revolutionary army lieutenant generals.
After the press conference, An Yi returned to the lounge on the second floor. Ye Qing and Zhou Chongan came together. Ye Qing sat on the sofa next to An Yi and reported anxiously:
"Just received a call from Wuhan. General Tang Shengzhi announced at the military and political conference a crusade against Commander-in-Chief Chiang and a crusade against the Nanjing government. He called on all armies to prepare for war immediately and called on other armies of the revolutionary army to declare war on Nanjing."
An Yi was surprised: "So fast?"
Zhou Chongan, who was sitting opposite An Yi, nodded: "Yesterday, General Yan Xishan expelled Kong Geng, the Wuhan representative, and publicly stated that he would not accept Wuhan's leadership or any appointment. Perhaps this incident had a certain impact on Wuhan's decision.
"
An Yi knew that General Yan Xishan had been convinced by the special envoy sent by Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek, but he could not tell his friend Zhou Chongan such a confidential matter, so he could only analyze it from the side:
"It's very possible that Wuhan didn't hold the Fourth National Trade Union Congress yesterday? Our Nanjing government's military and political officials gathered in Xuzhou, and the original Shanghai faction of the Kuomintang also expressed its willingness to cooperate with Nanjing to strengthen the party's leadership. Zhang Zuolin is here again
When he was solemnly appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Beijing government, he clearly told the world that he was the master of the northern government. This series of events all happened within two days, and may have an impact on the Wuhan government."
"In this case, the outcome of the Xuzhou meeting is very critical. Xiaoyi, what do you expect from the meeting between Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek and General Feng Yuxiang?" Zhou Chongan is not easily dismissed.
An Yi had no choice but to briefly reveal to Zhou Chongan: "The progress of the talks is going very smoothly. I am confident about it. Maybe my younger brother will be ordered to go north tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. The specific results of the meeting will come out tomorrow at the latest. It seems that I can't wait tonight."
If you're fine, I'll treat you to dinner tonight, otherwise I don't know when I'll be able to see you after I leave."
Zhou Chongan's eyes lit up, he nodded thoughtfully and stopped asking, leaning on the back of the sofa to sip tea comfortably.
Ye Qing gave An Yi a slap: "Why don't you invite me?"
"Sister Qing, I don't want to be known as someone who values sex over friends." An Yi joked, and Zhou Chongan laughed out loud.
Ye Qing feigned annoyance and glared at An Yi: "You are not serious. If you keep talking nonsense, I will deal with you! How sweet it is to say 'Sister Qing, Sister Qing' in your mouth at ordinary times, but at the critical moment, you will reveal the true face of a stinky man, huh!"
Ignore you, I will tell eldest sister when I get back."
An Yi took Ye Qing's hand and asked her to sit down: "Sister Qing, since you know that I treat you like a family member, why do you need to ask me if I'll treat you? It's in your heart that the relationship between us
It’s like this because my emotions are far away, you can’t accuse me wrongly.”
Ye Qing smiled and gave An Yi another slap on the arm: "Hey! Seriously, do you really want to go to the front line?"
"Come on, I attended the military meeting last night and this morning. The Northern Expedition will proceed as scheduled without any pause. The First Route Army, under the command of Commander He, has already conquered several counties in southern Shandong. The war has entered a stalemate. The troops to which I belong
If the Second Route Army doesn't go up, it won't be interesting enough." An Yi replied with a smile.
Ye Qing nodded: "It's dinner time, go quickly, I'm going to starve to death."
An Yi stood up with a smile on his face, walked to Liu Shoujiang and Yin Jinan and gave an explanation, then went downstairs and walked out of the hotel with Zhou Chongan and Ye Qing, and walked towards Yunlong Pavilion, a time-honored brand famous for its Huaiyang cuisine in five provinces.
As soon as the three of them entered the hotel, Zhike and the shopkeeper recognized An Yi at a glance, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, showing extraordinary respect. Several girls in the store stared at An Yi, who was handsome and upright in military uniform.
He went up to the private room on the second floor and sat down. Ye Qing was still joking about An Yi because of the looks from the girls just now. An Yi suddenly raised his head and showed a bright smile to the beautiful waitress who was serving tea, making the gentle and beautiful little girl's pretty face
His face was red and his hands were shaking. An Yi quickly took the fine porcelain teapot and nodded to the girl to thank her. The little girl shyly turned around and left. After going out, she leaned against the wall and covered her hot pretty face while gasping for air, but something came to her mind.
An Yi's handsome smiling face.
Zhou Chongan and Ye Qing laughed when they saw An Yi covering his mouth, but An Yi poured tea for them seriously, put down the teapot and asked in a low voice: "You two, what do you think the outcome of the meeting between General Feng Yuxiang and Commander-in-Chief Chiang will be?
?”
"I'm very optimistic. At least so far, no negative news has come out of the talks between the two sides. In addition, your afternoon press conference can easily create a sense of optimism in people. I guess many colleagues have the same idea as me." Ye
Qing answered with a smile.
Zhou Chongan saw An Yi looking at him, smiled and said in a low voice: "I remember you told me last time that fighting a war is about logistics. To put it bluntly, it is about money. Whoever has the strongest financial resources will win on the basis of equal strength.
The chances are even greater.
I deeply agree with this. By analogy, comparing the wealthy Nanjing government with the poor Wuhan government, it is not difficult to guess the choice of General Feng Yuxiang. Moreover, the army under the Nanjing government is no worse than that of the Wuhan government. Look at Li Delin.
General's Seventh Army, as well as your independent divisions and well-equipped First Army, the results are obvious."
An Yi nodded in admiration: "It saves trouble to talk to you. It's a pity that I have a meeting tonight and can't drink. Otherwise, I would have given you a toast."
Ye Qing smiled and said: "Just open a bottle and have a quick taste. Don't I know your drinking capacity? Are you worried about money?"
An Yi laughed loudly: "Shopkeeper, give us a bottle of good wine!"
"Okay——"
…
In the afternoon of the next day, the much-anticipated meeting between Jiang and Feng finally came to an end. Commander-in-Chief Chiang and General Feng Yuxiang held a grand celebration banquet and press conference at the Garden Hotel. The explosive news spread to all parts of the country.
Outsiders do not know the twists and turns and difficulties of the talks, but An Yi knows well that this series of consensus is hard-won. During the negotiations, the two sides hide their secrets and hide their wits, but they are always scheming against each other and fighting wits and courage. In the end, Commander-in-Chief Chiang Kai-shek
After Wuhan announced the Eastern Expedition, they immediately seized this opportunity to force Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army to attack Wuhan from Henan.
Commander-in-Chief Chiang ignored General Li Zongren's advice and determined to withdraw all frontline troops to southern Anhui, western Zhejiang and other places to prepare for a decisive battle with Wuhan's troops heading east.
Generals Feng Yuxiang and Li Zongren knew very well that the decisive battle in Ninghan was in no way in their respective interests, so they tried hard to persuade Chiang Kai-shek to make concessions together. Li Zongren expressed his support for the Northern Expedition and obeyed the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Chiang. Feng Yuxiang publicly sent a telegram that night, asking the Wuhan government to expel
Borodin, the chief representative of the International Communist Party, demanded severe restrictions on all activities of the Communist Party and its organizations, trade unions, and peasant associations, and urged Wang Jingwei, Tang Shengzhi, and Zhang Fakui to lead their troops back to Henan and continue the Northern Expedition.
Feng Yuxiang took this step recklessly, which finally caused Chiang Kai-shek to take a step back. Chiang Kai-shek knew that once Feng Yuxiang's power supply came out, it meant that Feng Yuxiang's seemingly inseparable relationship with the Wuhan side was no longer sustainable. The possibility of Feng Yuxiang's alliance with the Wuhan side was therefore reduced to the lowest point.
, which has played an irreplaceable role in intensifying the internal conflicts that have always existed in Wuhan.
Li Zongren also greatly appreciated Feng Yuxiang's clear attitude, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. In this way, Feng Yuxiang would not only not pose a threat to Li Zongren and his Gui army, but would also be infamous for being dishonest again, and from then on, Wuhan authorities would
Various parties harbor secret resentment against him, and Feng Yuxiang's political future will encounter numerous obstacles due to his fickleness and speculation.
After Feng Yuxiang made his position clear, Chiang Kai-shek no longer mentioned the withdrawal of troops to fight in Wuhan. Feng Yuxiang also quickly made a guarantee to a group of Kuomintang elders to eliminate the Communist Party in the Northwest Army, and telegraphed his decision to purge the Party to Wang Jingwei, Sun Ke, and others in Wuhan.
Tan Yankai and other important figures of the Kuomintang.
After the biggest position issue was determined, Jiang and Feng quickly reached a consensus, finally came together, and telegraphed the joint declaration throughout the country:
...General Jiang Feng and hundreds of thousands of soldiers are believers in the Three People's Principles. Together with the revolutionary army across the country, they vow to fight for the Three People's Principles. They will ignore all temptations, avoid all difficulties and fear no sacrifices.
, we must eradicate the tools of imperialism in order to complete the mission of the national revolution...
The impact of the issuance of this joint declaration far exceeded the expectations of various groups and parties. As a result, conflicts in Wuhan intensified and quickly split, from sharing the same hatred to fighting each other.
Due to his cooperation with the Nanjing government, Feng Yuxiang also received a major benefit that Commander-in-Chief Chiang proposed and the government approved it: starting from July, the Nanjing central government will pay a monthly military subsidy of 2.5 million yuan to the Northwest Army to sympathize with the difficulties of the soldiers and civilians in the Northwest.
, rapidly increase military strength and restore people's livelihood.
Feng Yuxiang completely broke away from the Wuhan government and joined the Nanjing camp, which played a huge catalytic role in the sudden changes in the current situation.