The former Marshal's Mansion has now become the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the three eastern provinces.
Zhang Xueliang and Zhou Hexuan talked secretly here for two days, and no one knew what they said. But according to the memoirs of the adjutant secretary Hu Ruoyu decades later, "The commander was in a very low mood, with some confusion and determination on his face, and then he He called a meeting of his confidants."
In fact, the content of the conversation between Zhang Xueliang and Zhou Hexuan was very simple, and could be summed up in three points: first, secretly investigate and monitor suspected traitors; second, always be on guard against the invasion of the Kwantung Army; third, be ready to transfer military supplies at any time.
These arrangements need to be made in advance, otherwise things will definitely be chaotic and disorderly.
Moreover, Zhou Hexuan repeatedly warned that we must not give up the Northeast without firing a shot, and we should not take chances with Japan's invasion. As long as the Kwantung Army dared to attack, they would fight back fiercely. The number of Japanese troops was not large at the beginning. , we can definitely win.
As for Japan's increase in troops, they should keep the rules if they can, and if they can't, they should fight and withdraw. Before withdrawing, try to transfer supplies and people. You must not fatten up the Japanese Kwantung Army, and make the Japanese invaders pay the price as much as possible.
Zhang Xueliang agreed wholeheartedly and personally sent Zhou Hexuan out of the door. But when he was blown by the howling cold wind, his mind suddenly "awakened" and he felt that this secret discussion with Zhou Hexuan was a bit weird.
There is no sign of the Japanese invasion of Northeast China yet. Everything is just Zhou Hexuan's guess. What if Zhou Hexuan's guess is wrong?
Zhang Xueliang recalled that in the past two years, Zhou Hexuan's predictions were bound to hit his mark, and he inevitably felt uneasy, fearing that Zhou Hexuan would once again put his words into practice.
Must prepare early!
Zhang Xueliang convened a meeting with his confidants overnight, and Zhou Hexuan only gave him a general strategy, and the detailed operations must be carried out carefully.
At nine o'clock in the evening, one after another people braved the wind and snow to arrive at Zhang Xueliang's commander-in-chief's residence.
The leader is Wang Shuhan. He is a fat middle-aged man, wearing a cotton-padded jacket and a round hat tilted to one side. He looks like a wanderer traveling from north to south. He is an old man left by Zhang Zuolin. He has been a provincial governor and has been in charge of finance. Now he is Zhang Xueliang’s Secretary General.
The person sitting next to Wang Shuhan is Bao Wenyue, a Manchu, a young officer, and now the chief of staff of the Northeast Army, equivalent to Zhang Xueliang's chief military advisor. Well, he is another future traitor, and he voted for Wang's puppet government after the Xi'an Incident.
The next young man is called Wang Yizhe. His current position is not high, he is just the brigade commander of the Northeast Army. However, he is highly regarded by Zhang Xueliang. He has been promoted to five levels in four years and is helping Zhang Xueliang train people who are thoughtful, educated, and religious. The New Army. A few years later, this person would secretly join the Red Party and play an important role in the Xi'an Incident.
Just looking at these three people, you can see how complicated the composition of the Northeastern Army is: one is a former member of the Qing Dynasty, one is a future traitor, and the other is a future Red Party member.
Can the Northeastern Army withstand the Japanese attack?
Even Zhang Xueliang's chief of staff had ulterior motives and was a Manchu officer who could be considered a traitor at any time. If this battle really started, it is estimated that the Japanese army would be able to obtain detailed information about the battle plan that the Northeast Army had just formulated.
It’s hard for Zhou Hexuan to say it clearly, why should he just tell Zhang Xueliang: Ah, your chief of staff is a traitor, take him down quickly!
Who would believe this?
Zhang Xueliang regarded Bao Wenyue as a confidant, so how could he listen to such gossip.
In addition to these three people, the person who was called to discuss the matter was the adjutant secretary Zhu Guangmu. This person was ostensibly a personal secretary, but he was responsible for the intelligence work against Japan in the Northeast and was a secret confidant of Zhang Xueliang.
Zhang Xueliang slowly walked into the meeting hall, and the four people immediately stood up and said: "Commander!"
"Everyone, please sit down." Zhang Xueliang raised his hand to signal.
Wang Shuhan, the oldest person, asked, "I wonder what big event happened when the commander called me late at night?"
"Wang Zhaoming and Yan Xishan invited me to Peking to discuss the issue of joint anti-Chiang affairs in the north-south matter." Zhang Xueliang asked without telling the real purpose, "What is the current financial situation in Northeast China?"
Wang Shuhan smiled bitterly and said: "It's terrible. The old commander's wars in the past few years destroyed all the foundations of Northeast China, and he has never recovered. Last year, we fought against the Soviets again, which cost countless money and resources. Now the government cannot pay salaries.
, the army cannot pay military salaries, and it is living like a year! Commander, we must not use the army for at least two years, otherwise we will force the three finance ministers to commit suicide."
"Yeah, how can we fight if we don't have money?" Zhang Xueliang sighed.
As the chief of staff of the Young Faction, Bao Wenyue wanted to fight. He encouraged: "Commander, the current conflict between the central and local governments is a good opportunity for our Northeast. It is better to agree to the anti-Chiang incident in Peiping and strengthen the reputation of the local warlords.
Encourage Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang to start a war with Chiang Kai-shek. We will act like a mantis catching a cicada and the oriole behind us. We will only watch the fun from behind without spending a tael of silver. If the war is one-sided, we will immediately declare that we are on the side of the winner. If the war ends
We are at a stalemate, and we are just reaping the benefits. We will help whoever offers the most benefits. Maybe our Northeastern Army can take over the Central Plains again!"
Wang Yizhe said dissatisfied: "Chief of Staff Bao, you are acting like a decadent warlord. Where do you put the interests of the country and the nation?"
Bao Wenyue was too lazy to argue with Wang Yizhe. He smiled and said: "Commander, who made the biggest profit from the Northern Expedition besides Chang Kaishen?"
"Yan Xishan." Zhang Xueliang blurted out.
"Exactly!"
Bao Wenyue said: "We are just imitating Yan Xishan's old skills. After this battle is won, the Northeast Army may have the most advantage."
Zhang Xueliang nodded noncommittally. The idea Bao Wenyue came up with was exactly the second choice given to him by Zhou Hexuan.
This strategy is very Zhang Zuolin's style. Wang Shuhan agreed: "I think Chief of Staff Bao is right. The Northeast Army does not need to wade into muddy waters, it can just watch the battle. It can only send troops after getting benefits, which can solve the Northeast's finances."
difficulty."
Zhang Xueliang suddenly asked Zhu Guangmu: "What are the recent trends of the Japanese?"
Zhu Guangmu said: "The situation in Japan is very bad. Factories and companies have closed down everywhere. Many people in rural areas have begun to sell their children. This is good news for us. But what is worth worrying about is that as early as ten years ago,
The Outline of Japan's Reform Law, which had been published since then, has now been dug out again and even distributed openly on the streets. Many young Japanese are clamoring to conquer Manchuria and Mongolia by force."
"Where is the Kwantung Army?" Zhang Xueliang asked again.
Zhu Guangmu replied: "The Kwantung Army has not done anything unusual recently."
In fact, the Kwantung Army had already started planning at this time, but there was no specific combat deployment yet. Ten months before the "September 18th Incident" broke out, the Japanese Kwantung Army had already identified Liutiao Lake as the location to provoke the incident.
It took two months to develop a rough idea of the Wicker Lake incident, and four months to develop a detailed plan.
Therefore, the "September 18th Incident" was no accident. The Japanese Kwantung Army planned this for nearly a year. As long as the Kwantung Army provoked trouble, no matter whether it succeeded or not, the Japanese Army Ministry had a way to gain the emperor's support.
Zhang Xueliang asked Bao Wenyue: "Do you think once the Northeast Army enters the pass, will the Japanese take advantage of it?"
"How is that possible?" Bao Wenyue said with a smile, "The old commander has entered the border several times. The Japanese would have taken action long ago, so why wait until now."
Wang Yizhe said uncertainly: "The Kwantung Army should not dare to invade rashly."
Wang Shuhan also said: "The Japanese definitely don't dare to fight. They are in such a mess at home that they don't have the strength."
Zhu Guangmu said: "I agree with Director Wang (Director of the Secretary's Department)."
Zhang Xueliang remained silent. His close advisors and Zhou Hexuan had different opinions. What should he do?
With only one step at a time, Zhang Xueliang decided to deploy secretly because Zhou Hexuan warned him that there were many Japanese spies in the Northeast Army and this matter could not be publicized. At least, the Northeast's arsenals, ammunition depots, as well as aircraft, tanks, warships and other supplies
