Chapter 1346 The sorrow of the famous anti-Japanese general (2)
"Brother, it's not that I don't want to go back and be that army commander, it's just that I can't do it!" Lieutenant General Zhang bitterly drank the wine in the glass in front of him. "Forget it, I have never mentioned this to the second person.
It’s rare that you don’t despise me, Zhang, for my now infamous reputation. Call me big brother, and I will tell you about my experiences since the July 7th Incident, so that you can know that I, Zhang Zizhong, am by no means a traitor as described by scholars.
!”
"The last time I stayed in Peiping to discuss peace with the Japanese invaders, it was not what I wanted. Tong Linge and Zhao Dengyu could both die in battle. How could I, Zhang Zizhong, be a coward who is greedy for life and afraid of death? But Mingxuan (Zheyuan of Song Dynasty) secretly ordered me to do it.
As the mayor of Peiping, I negotiated with the Japanese invaders. In order to protect the ancient city of Peiping from being destroyed by the war, I could only follow my orders. However, when the whole country knew that it was me, Zhang Zizhong, who was negotiating with the Japanese invaders, and the public opinion was in an uproar,
Mingxuan knew the inside story clearly, but refused to defend me, and I became the eternal sinner who caused the loss of the nation in Pingjin." Speaking of the sad incident, Lieutenant General Zhang finally couldn't help but shed tears in his already reddish eyes."
I remember that after the Great War in the Central Plains, the 29th Army was incorporated by Marshal Zhang. At that time, Marshal Zhang wanted to appoint me as the commander. I refused and recommended Mingxuan to be the commander of the 29th Army, and I served as the commander of the 38th Division as his deputy. At that time, I
I treated him like this, but I didn’t expect him to treat me like this today..."
Liu Lang's face was also a little gloomy. He certainly knew the history. Not only did Zhang Zizhong tell the truth, he even downplayed his feat of giving up the post of military commander. You know, in troubled times, power and position are important.
The first priority is to settle down and settle down.
In the Central Plains War in 1930, Zhang Zizhong, then commander of the 6th Division, participated in the anti-Chiang War. The troops he commanded defeated Xu Yuanquan and Zhang Zhizhong in Henan. He was known as a tiger general on the Central Plains battlefield. But in the Northeast
The anti-Chiang coalition was defeated by a series of blows such as the army entering the Pass to help Chiang Kai-shek, and Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang and others going to the countryside one after another. The bald man once specially called Zhang Zizhong to win over him and promised him the post of general commander of the 24th Route Army, but
But he was flatly rejected. Zhang Zizhong took the appointment telegram from the bald man and said to his subordinates: "As soldiers, the most important thing is loyalty. Now that the Northwest Army has failed, many people have betrayed Mr. Feng, but I, Zhang Zizhong, do not
Will do this." Afterwards, Zhang Zizhong resolutely led his troops across the Yellow River and retreated into southern Shanxi. Knowing his loyalty, some friendly troops from neighboring countries also moved closer to him and expressed their willingness to accept his command.
The Northwest Army gathered in Shanxi soon spontaneously reorganized into two armies and twelve divisions. However, due to the pressure of the situation, they were eventually forced to submit to the Nanjing government and were reduced to one army and two divisions as required. There were more monks and fewer divisions.
The commander of the brigade and regiment was therefore redundant. Under this situation, Zhang Zizhong gained support and was once expected to become the commander of the army. Zhang Zizhong declined, and he took the initiative to support Song Zheyuan, another veteran general of the Northwest Army, as the newly established Northeast Army.
Commander of the 3rd Army of the Border Guard Army. Later, the 3rd Army was renamed the 29th Army, and Zhang Zizhong was the commander of the 38th Division of the Army.
The resignation of Zhang Zizhong, who had no love for power at all, was very important for the cohesion of the 29th Army in the future. Although the 29th Army's troops are all from the remaining Northwest Army, these troops belong to different systems. If they cannot be united, the 29th Army will not be able to unite.
The formation of the 29th Army, which will have combat effectiveness, is like a "Taoyuan sworn alliance". The eldest brother Song Zheyuan, the second brother Zhang Zizhong, the third brother Feng Zhian... It can be said that Zhang Zizhong showed "bravery" in this melee among warlords within China.
", "loyalty", "righteousness" and other integrity are definitely rare noble character generals of that era. On the future anti-Japanese battlefield, Zhang Zizhong performed just like the second brother Guan who was worshiped by the people. He was extremely loyal and courageous, until he finally sacrificed his life.
Martyrdom for the country.
However, Liu Lang is still a young man in his thirties after all. Although his thinking is more sophisticated than most people of his age, he still has the inherent characteristics of young people. His blood
Not completely cold yet, not yet learned to ruthlessly put self-interest above friendship.
Unexpectedly, the other side of the northern military leader with whom he was chatting and laughing in Peking would be so ruthless. The friendship between comrades for more than ten years would be so vulnerable in the face of personal interests. No wonder this famous anti-Japanese general was so chilled.
, escaped from Peiping and went all the way south. He would rather come to Nanjing to plead guilty than return to the 29th Army to take up a military position.
It was fine to pay off being cheated by his boss and comrade, but what made the man in front of him cry most was probably the overwhelming curses from all over the country. The man who joined the Alliance at the age of 20 and devoted himself to "driving out the traitors"
, restore China, establish the Republic of China, and equalize land rights.” For Lieutenant General Zhang who launched a vigorous democratic revolution, this was definitely a fatal blow.
Liu Lang knew that after the July 7th Incident, most of the 29th Army, which was not ready for war, withdrew from Peiping under the leadership of Song Zheyuan, but the government still had a chance and hoped to save the crisis in the north through negotiations. Throughout the country,
Under the surging anti-Japanese wave, a secret order from Nanjing to the north arrived at Song Zheyuan, and finally fell on the head of this famous anti-Japanese general.
Lieutenant General Zhang, who already has only two brigades and five regiments under his command, is surrounded by Japanese troops that have increased to hundreds of thousands. What can he do? Apart from using those pitiful troops to maintain peace and order in Peiping, he can probably do nothing.
No. The only thing that can be done is not to surrender after the Japanese army captures Peiping, and to either die or escape. Lieutenant General Zhang, who does not want to be a prisoner, may not have thought that sometimes, death is easier.
After escaping from Peking alive, he was attacked like never before. Media outlets across the country, from high-ranking government officials to ordinary people, seemed to have found a punching bag for the defeat of the North, and they all took pride in scolding him. They criticized him in various ways.
The news media gave him four words: "You think you are loyal!" On September 28, Shanghai's "Ta Kung Pao" published an article titled "The Northern Soldiers", "Don't imitate the shameless Yin Rugeng or the smart Zhang Zizhong.
!" He was extremely disparaging of the army lieutenant general, and the Nanjing Central Daily even wrote: "Zhang Ni is self-loyal."
Even when he was going to Nanjing to collect his charges, when the train passed through Xuzhou, as soon as it arrived at the station, thirty or forty young students, holding slogans such as "Denouncing the traitor Zhang Zizhong" and "Zhang Zizhong is Wu Sangui's second", rushed to the door of the carriage and asked to go up.
Car search for "traitor" Zhang Zizhong.
Finally, Qin Dechun, another general of the Northwest Army who was traveling to Nanjing in the car, hid Lieutenant General Zhang in a secret room. The students wished they could not even find the bathroom before they got off the car and left.
When he saw these words, Liu Lang could completely imagine the mood of this famous anti-Japanese general at that time. I am afraid that the second most painful thing was that the revolutionary soldiers who once devoted themselves to expelling the Tartars became everyone shouting "traitors".
Something unexpected happened!
In fact, Lieutenant General Zhang, who was burdened with the reputation of being a "traitor", rushed to Nanjing with the intention of dying. If he was really guilty of losing his troops and losing his land, it was not impossible that he would lose his head, and at least he would be imprisoned.
But what kind of political figure is the bald man? On the one hand, he knows that the lieutenant general is not responsible for what happened in Peiping. He is just the northern military leader and his scapegoat. If he is killed, it will be a dead end.
The gain outweighs the loss; on the other hand, he is also very unhappy with Comrade Lao Song who has never listened to his command. There is absolutely no harm in leaving an army lieutenant general who has been offended by him; besides, this army lieutenant general has a good military record.
With prestige, at a time when the whole nation is resisting Japan, it is better to have a general who can lead troops than none.
Based on various considerations, the bald man was not punished, but under the pressure of public opinion, Lieutenant General Zhang was temporarily removed from his position as commander of the 38th Division and placed under house arrest. After half a month of the limelight, he was given a military and political advisory post.
His spare time was sent to the Military and Administrative Department to spend his days.
"The Duke of Zhou was afraid of the rumor, and Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp it. Xiangshi died right away. Who knows the truth in his life?" Liu Lang sighed with emotion. "Brother, to be honest, if you are asked to be the commander of the 59th Army now,
, do you have the confidence to control the troops? If possible, I will find a way to get you back to the front line."
...
Lieutenant General Zhang was stunned.
If the poem by Bai Juyi that Lang Pang recited earlier was very suitable for the occasion and was somewhat literary and artistic, the following sentence "I will find a way to get you back to the front line" is a bit too bragging. Ruan Xuanwu can be said to have it.
Liu Lang's lead is that he is a veteran army lieutenant general who is quite capable. The 17th Division needs a suitable brigade commander to appease the newly recruited troops. There is a need for one and the government does not have to worry about it.
Arranging an army lieutenant general is a consensual type.
But Zhang Zizhong was different. Not to mention his military rank of Army Lieutenant General, even the head of the military and political department had to discuss with the leader how to mobilize him. Liu Lang, a newly promoted colonel and major general, could not participate.
level. But that is not the biggest difficulty for Zhang Zizhong's return to the 1st Group Army. The most difficult thing is the former 29th Army and the current 1st Group Army. The commander of the 59th Army is the commander of the group army, Comrade Lao Song. So
It was because he knew that Zhang Zizhong's prestige in the 38th Division was so high that no one but him could convince the public.
However, there has been a gap between the two because of Peking's taking the blame. Can the former brotherhood return to the past? Even if Zhang Zizhong does not want to pursue it, General Song may have the idea that he can no longer command the 59th Army!
"Brother, I appreciate your kindness. It's just that the things involved are too complicated and cannot be solved by you and me. Come on, have a drink!" Although Lieutenant General Zhang was grateful, he was not satisfied with Lang Pang's abrupt "pretend."
But "forced" can only be replaced by the word "xinling".
But he didn't know that Lang Pang dared to say this because in the past time and space, in three months, the government would re-appoint him as the commander of the 59th Army, because he was needed for the Xuzhou Battle that was about to begin.
.However, his old boss and brother, Comrade Lao Song, gradually lost command of the 1st Group Army in November due to consecutive defeats. By April of the following year, he only served as deputy commander-in-chief of the 1st Theater Command.
He lost his position as commander of the 1st Group Army and completely lost his command authority over the troops.
Zhang Zizhong, however, became the de facto supreme commander of the army that returned from the defeat in the north.
It can be said that since November, the number one person in China's political arena has been thinking about who to replace the old Comrade Song who was not very obedient. Although this person has been against him, he has nothing to do with his character or military skills.
The army lieutenant general whose prestige is hard to criticize is the perfect choice.
Moreover, Liu Lang also has a trump card for him to come back early, which is enough to further strengthen the bald man's determination to use him.
And that was Liu Lang's last effort to control the outcome of the Battle of Songhu.
No matter what, he, a little butterfly, is still eager to change the stubborn footsteps of the elephant in history by flapping his little wings. Although the chance is very slim, he still has to try after all. What if it succeeds?