Entering May 1936, the situation in North China became increasingly tense, and the various factions within the Kuomintang began to gradually differentiate.
Mr. Chiang's insistence on the policy of "reconciling the internal situation before fighting foreign forces" has encountered serious challenges. Although the Nanjing government appears to be in charge of the overall situation, various princes have made more or less different voices.
The core of the issue is of course the fight against Japan. The Communist Party’s proposal to establish an anti-Japanese national united front has gradually become a prairie fire in various provinces.
After the young marshal returned to Xi'an, he took the initiative to contact Yan Xishan, who was in charge of Shanxi, to express his firm attitude towards resisting Japan, and also hoped that Yan Xishan would express his attitude to the Nanjing government as soon as possible.
It happened that the Japanese army invaded Suidong and threatened Shanxi. Yan Xishan weighed the pros and cons and decided on the policy of "alliance with the Communist Party to support Chiang Kai-shek" and "defend the territory and resist the war" in order to preserve his position in Shanxi.
The situation in Guangdong and Guangxi has reversed more rapidly than in the west.
Chen Jitang, the leader of the Guangdong faction who followed Mr. Sun in the southern and northern wars, first stood up and joined forces with Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi of the Guangxi faction to launch the "June 1st Incident".
They simply renamed their army the "Anti-Japanese and National Salvation Army", raised the banner of "going north to resist Japan", sent troops to Hunan, and formed a confrontation with the Nanjing government.
Li Zongren immediately publicly published the "Scorched Earth War of Resistance", attacking the Nanjing government's "inaction", which had caused China to enter a state of "death or death", and claimed that the whole of China must prepare for a "scorched earth war of resistance".
The war of resistance has been ignited across the country, but Nanjing has not yet made a clear attitude.
After receiving this series of information, Lu Ming was as happy as a child. He held a banquet at the Chinachem Hotel and invited all the staff of the Intelligence Department to have a feast.
After drinking too much that night, Lu Ming stayed in the rest room of the Intelligence Office.
In the early morning of the next day, the phone rang urgently. Lu Ming tried his best to open his heavy eyelids and answered the call.
The call was from the young marshal's adjutant. He spoke a Northeastern dialect and spoke very quickly.
After the adjutant said hello to Lu Ming, he immediately handed the phone to the young marshal at the side.
The young marshal changed his usual relaxed tone and said: "Brother, Chen Jitang's Li Hanhun and Yu Hanmou publicly expressed their opposition to Chen and Chiang Kai-shek last night. Chairman Chiang has regained control of Guangdong and formed a heavy siege and crusade against Guangxi.
I want you to do something."
Lu Ming was shocked by the news, and all his remaining drunkenness disappeared. He rubbed his eyes and asked, "Whatever brother wants me to do, just say it and I will definitely do it."
"Sheng Gong has a high prestige within the party. I know that he has a close relationship with brother De Lin (Li Zongren). When the country is in danger, can Sheng Gong express his condolences to De Lin? How should I put it? I believe Sheng
The public makes his own decision."
After being tempered in a severe and complex environment for a long time, the young commander's attitude became calm and calm, without panic at all.
"Well, I understand that this is not a personal matter. There is no big personal matter and no small matter for the country. I will call Uncle Sheng right away. No, I will go over to see the old man right away." Lu Ming immediately expressed his position.
"Please!" The young marshal hung up the phone after saying this.
Lu Ming got up from the bed and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 5 o'clock in the morning.
He ran to wash his face in a hurry, put on his clothes and hurried downstairs, started the car and went straight to Liuyuan.
It was already summer, and after 5 o'clock in the morning, the sky became bright.
Lu Ming blasted the horn violently at the gate of Liuyuan, which scared the concierge that something big had happened. When he came out and saw Master Lu's Cadillac parked outside the door, he felt at ease.
Lu Ming asked the housekeeper to open Sheng Youde's study and asked the housekeeper to go in immediately and report to the master. He was waiting in the study and asked to see him if there was something urgent.
Sheng Youde had already gotten up and was doing Tai Chi in the backyard. He vaguely heard the sound of a car horn outside, but didn't pay attention.
After a while, I saw the housekeeper running over in a hurry, saying that Master Lu was here and was waiting for him in the study.
Sheng Youde nodded and thought to himself: "This kid doesn't go to the Three Treasures Hall for anything. If he comes here so early in the morning without sleeping in, I'm afraid something is really urgent."
Sheng Youde didn't even change his clothes and came to the study wearing Tai Chi training clothes.
Seeing Sheng Youde coming over, Lu Ming hurried over, handed a cup of tea to his hand, and said with a fawning expression: "Old man, I just made the tea. You must be thirsty from practicing."
Sheng Youde took the tea cup, sat on the imperial chair, and asked: "Did you run into any trouble when you came here early in the morning?"
Lu Ming told him about the situation he had just received from the young commander.
Sheng Youde looked solemn, and after saying "oh" he fell into deep thought.
Lu Ming couldn't wait any longer and asked: "Old man, the young marshal just wants you to call Li Delin."
"I know, does the young commander have any clear ideas?" Sheng Youde asked.
"The young marshal simply said a few words, which means that Li Delin can submit to Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, but he should retain the Guangxi clique's attitude of insisting on resisting Japan." Lu Ming translated according to the young marshal's meaning.
"This Li Delin, we used to have frequent contact. Later, after he became the leader of the Guangxi clan, we became estranged. People can change." Sheng Youde said lightly.
"Can Li Delin still listen to you now?" Lu Ming asked.
"Hey, boy, you don't understand the young marshal's words completely. Let me tell you what the young marshal's words mean. You can learn from it." Sheng Youde said slowly.
"Foolish nephew, I'm all ears!" Lu Ming stood up and lowered his hands, looking harmless to humans and animals.
"The young marshal knew that I had a good relationship with De Lin before and was able to talk to him, but he didn't just want me to say something to De Lin, but he wanted me to communicate with Mr. Jiang and create a bridge between the two of them.
Guarantor."
Sheng Youde took a sip of tea, closed his eyes slightly, and enjoyed the aroma of tea.
"Oh, that's it." Lu Ming suddenly realized.
"As for Li Delin, he is a little big-hearted now. I believe he is sincere when he proposes to resist Japan. However, he also wants to get rid of Mr. Jiang's command. He is not willing to be subordinate to others." Sheng Youde tapped his finger on the tea cup and said.
.
"Then Li Delin is different from the young marshal in this regard. The young marshal is actually loyal to Mr. Jiang. It's just that he was pushed into a hurry, so he resisted Mr. Jiang." Lu Ming said.
"Well, you can understand this. Now, it is inconvenient for the young marshal to make this call to Mr. Jiang. Like De Lin, he is now more or less anti-Chiang. At this time, a political outsider like me can
It can come in handy. This is the purpose why the young marshal asked you to come to me, do you understand?"
Sheng Youde said, making a neutral gesture with his hands.
"Old man, do you think this phone number can be called? Call Mr. Jiang..." Lu Ming didn't know how to ask.
"Of course I have to call Li Delin first to find out what he thinks and tell him what the young marshal means. You can submit to the central government, but you must persist in resisting Japan. This is the core." Sheng Youde said.
"That is, as long as we resist Japan, everything can be obeyed by the Nanjing government's command. Even the Communist Party has stated this position." Lu Ming couldn't help but express the Communist Party's anti-Japanese attitude.
"I knew that you and the young marshal became brothers, and both of them were secretly dealing with the Communist Party, right?" Sheng Youdehu said with a raised face.
"No, no, the young marshal just hopes to cooperate with the Red Army to fight against Japan, and has no intention of leaning towards the Communist Party." Lu Ming quickly waved his hand.
"Don't lie to me. I also know that the young marshal did not sway to the Communist Party, but he did sway to the Communist Party's policy of establishing a national united front against Japan, right?" Sheng Youde suddenly glared.
He asked with wide eyes.
"Uh, this... is correct, and it's not... the young marshal is..." Lu Ming stuttered for a moment, not knowing how to express himself.
"Okay, okay, stop talking. At first, I had doubts about the Communist Party's policy of establishing a national anti-Japanese united front. I thought it was just their political strategy. Later, after a period of observation, I felt that it was
That's right, this is the only correct path for China to resist the Japanese aggressors."
Lu Ming's mouth opened wide and his jaw almost fell to the ground in shock. He never expected that Sheng Youde would suddenly say these words.
"No wonder the young commander came to ask you for this matter instead of asking anyone else. It turns out that he has long understood that you can accept his anti-Japanese proposition."
Lu Ming stroked his chest, feeling that he could finally give the young marshal a satisfactory answer to this matter.
"Well, you should go back quickly and contact the young marshal. Don't use the phone anymore. Let's send an encrypted telegram. Safety first." Sheng Youde explained.
"Old man, I understand. I will go back and report your intention to the young marshal." Lu Ming immediately stood up and walked out.