The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

When Yan Xishan and Chang Kaishen met in Peking, Zhang Xueliang was also invited to attend. Some people jokingly called this meeting the "Big Three Meeting".

Zhang Xueliang watched the good show all the time, and didn't intend to get involved in it. He just hoped that everyone wouldn't really fight.

After the meeting, Zhang Xueliang was preparing to return to Shenyang, when he suddenly received an urgent call from his wife Yu Fengzhi—the youngest son of the two had died of illness.

Those who prepared said that they didn't die of illness, but died of being cheated.

After Mr. Zhang contracted a serious illness, a Western doctor performed an X-ray examination on him. Suddenly, the machine exploded and he was stabbed in the vitals by glass and died.

Among the three sons born to Yu Fengzhi, this one looks the most like Zhang Xueliang. He is only ten years old and smart. He is favored by everyone in the Zhang family.

Zhang Xueliang doted on this young son very much, when he suddenly heard the bad news, he became in a daze.

On the train back to Shenyang, the adjutants Hu Ruoyu (not the warlord Hu Ruoyu), Zhu Guangmu and others discussed that it was not appropriate for Zhang Xueliang to go home at this time, so as not to hurt the scene, it is better to go to Beidaihe to recuperate for a while.

Zhang Xueliang agreed to this arrangement. He first got off the train in Tianjin and went to the mansion (Young Marshal's Mansion) in the concession to rest temporarily. At the same time, he ordered his adjutant Zhu Haibei to go first to Beidaihe to prepare the board and lodging for the brigade.

"Commander," Hu Ruoyu, the adjutant, hurried into the bedroom and said to Zhang Xueliang, who was sleeping on the bed, "Shenyang called, and the cause of the explosion of the X-ray machine has been found out. It was caused by the aging of the machine and the short circuit of the wires. What should I do?"

When Zhang Xueliang heard the situation, he said helplessly, "Let everyone go. It's God's will. The machine didn't blow up sooner or later, but it happened when my son was being checked. What can I do!"

Hu Ruoyu took the order but did not leave, with a hesitant expression on his face.

"What else?" Zhang Xueliang asked.

Hu Ruoyu took out a letter and said: "This is a letter from Lu Ronghuan, the supervisor of the Middle East Road. It was written a few days ago and sent to Beiping, which was then forwarded to Tianjin."

"Give it to me." Zhang Xueliang said.

"Yes!" Hu Ruoyu handed over the letter, saluted and left.

Zhang Xueliang opened the letter and read it carefully, but he urged him to take it back to the Middle East Road. What is said that the Soviet Union is strong outside but capable in the middle, and the country is extremely chaotic and full of difficulties, and it is absolutely impossible to fight a war. At this time, the Northeast sends troops to take back the Middle East Road, which is a great opportunity given by God, and it can also get the support of capitalist countries such as Britain and the United States.

Before Zhang Xueliang finished reading the letter, there was a sudden knock on the door outside, and the adjutant Zhu Guangmu said: "Commander, Mr. Zhou please see me."

"Tell him to go to the reception room, I'll be right there." Zhang Xueliang got up, put on his leather shoes, and walked towards the reception room weakly.

Zhou Hexuan had already learned about the death of Zhang Xueliang's youngest son from the adjutant, so he said when he met him, "Six Commander, please mourn."

"Sit down," Zhang Xueliang waved his hand, and said in a strong voice, "I heard that Mingcheng is happy to have a daughter, and I haven't had time to congratulate him yet."

Zhou Hexuan said: "The Sixth Marshal is worried."

Zhang Xueliang said: "Mr. Toynbee came to visit last time and said he was going to visit you. Have you met?"

"I've seen it, and I went to Shanghai with him." Zhou Hexuan said.

"Mr. Toynbee said that you are an expert on political issues, what do you think of the current situation?" Zhang Xueliang asked.

"A big war is inevitable," Zhou Hexuan said with a serious expression. "The urgent question now is that the Northeast Army must never use force against the Soviet Union. I heard that two months ago, the Sixth Marshal sent people to search the Soviet Consulate General in Harbin. Thirty-nine Soviets were arrested. This incident must not expand, otherwise it will be difficult to deal with."

Zhang Xueliang frowned and said, "Taking back the Middle East Road is a great thing to safeguard China's sovereignty. Do you want to speak for the Soviet Union Mingcheng?"

Zhou Hexuan said: "The Northeast issue is extremely complicated. The Soviet Union and Japan are afraid of each other, and they are not good at acting rashly. Once the Northeast Army attacks the Soviet Union, war will inevitably break out. It will be a joke for the Japanese."

"I quickly took back the Middle East Road, just to strengthen the military power of the Northeast Army and prevent the Japanese from messing around. This is a strategy that kills two birds with one stone." Instead, Zhang Xueliang comforted, "Mingcheng, you don't need to worry too much, I have been doing it for several months. I know the situation in the Soviet Union very well. The current political situation in the Soviet Union is chaotic, the people are poor and weak, and the finances are extremely difficult. They dare not use troops and can only sit back and watch me take back the Middle East Road."

Zhou Hexuan scolded angrily: "The people who gave you this information are all a bunch of bastards! The Soviet Union started to implement the First Five-Year Plan last year. Although there was a little chaos, Stalin has taken power and the national power has rapidly recovered. The Northeast Army and the Soviet Union Let’s start a war, there is no chance of winning.”

Zhou Hexuan was right, the person who helped Zhang Xueliang pass on the information is a real bastard!

The young and strong faction of Fengjun wanted to fight for meritorious service, and Lu Ronghuan and others in the railway system wanted to take back the Middle East Road and pay dividends according to their shares. So he listened to all kinds of anti-Soviet remarks from the West and China, took these distorted reports as real intelligence, and conspired to bad-mouth the Soviet Union in front of Zhang Xueliang all day long, saying that the Soviet Union could not fight at all.

Zhang Xueliang has been brainwashed by these "intelligence", and he is convinced that the Soviet Union is strong outside the country. Coupled with the fact that his son died in a bad mood, and he didn't have the normal sense to judge the truth from the falsehood, when he heard Zhou Hexuan's words, he was immediately displeased and said, "Mingcheng, you're trying to boost other people's ambitions and destroy your own prestige. Our Northeast Army Hundreds of thousands of athletes, why are they afraid of the Soviet Union? Since the victory of the Northern Expedition, the Nanjing government has successively withdrawn the autonomy of tariffs, concessions and consular jurisdiction in various places, which has greatly boosted the hearts of the Chinese people and made China's national strength flourish. Now I take back the Middle East Road, which is also for the benefit of the country , in line with the general situation of China's rise."

Zhou Hexuan tried hard to persuade: "The things that the Nanjing government took back were either given by foreigners on their own initiative, or they were taken from small countries like Belgium and Denmark. Have the consular jurisdictions of Britain, the United States, France, Japan and other countries really been taken back? And they would rather offend them. Britain, the United States and France must not provoke the Soviet Union, because the Soviet Union is right next to us, and it is much easier to send troops than Britain and the United States!"

Zhang Xueliang was soft-hearted, he didn't want to argue with Zhou Hexuan, so he just said: "Okay, don't talk anymore. I will seriously consider your suggestion."

Zhou Hexuan did not stop, and continued to persuade: "Once the Northeast takes back the Middle East Road by force, it will inevitably lead to a war between the two countries. The Soviet Union's obstacles. The six commanders, the Japanese leased land in the northeast will expire in five years. The Japanese will definitely send troops to occupy the northeast within these five years, you have to think twice!"

"I know," Zhang Xueliang said with a headache, "I'm a little tired, go back."

Adjutant Zhu Guangmu came over and said, "Mr. Zhou, please."

"Alas!" Zhou Hexuan sighed, and left helplessly, knowing that he couldn't be persuaded anymore.

Zhang Xueliang was not only encouraged to take back the Middle East Road by force, he himself was also inclined to send troops.

Sitting in the three northeastern provinces at a young age, Zhang Xueliang can be described as a youthful success. In Zhang Xueliang's own words later, after obtaining this "right to fly", "I am overwhelmed, and I really want to use it all at once." His ambitions include two aspects. First, to suppress the old faction internally, improve the status of the young faction, and stabilize the situation in the Northeast; second, to use force externally to increase his prestige.

Using troops abroad is a good way to transfer internal conflicts.

Zhang Xueliang also wanted to use it. He was disturbed by false information and regarded the Soviet Union as a soft persimmon for Liwei.

What's more, after taking back the Middle East Road, it can increase the income of more than 10 million gold rubles every year, which is quite attractive to the financially tight Northeast.

Moreover, whether it is the capitalist countries in Europe and the United States, the Nanjing National Government, or even the Japanese government, they all support the Northeast's war against the Soviet Union. Zhang Xueliang felt that he had the support of all parties, so he became more courageous, and Zhou Hexuan was the one who persuaded him.

No matter how awesome Zhou Hexuan was, it was impossible for Zhang Xueliang to only believe in him and suspect that all his subordinates conspired to deceive him.

In the next few days, the education circles, railway circles, young soldiers, and patriots in the Northeast sent telegrams to persuade Zhang Xueliang to send troops. Even Chang Kaishen is pushing hard, and promised that once China and the Soviet Union go to war, the central government will send 100,000 troops and allocate millions of military expenditures.

Can Chang Kaishen be at ease?

People are really playing the trick of counting birds with one stone.

Instigating Zhang Xueliang to use force against the Soviet Union, Chang Kaishen can first oppose Russia, second, please Britain and the United States, third, improve his prestige, and fourth, tie Zhang Xueliang to the central government to death.

Where did Zhang Xueliang see these? He was usually indecisive, impulsive and impulsive at critical moments. He was tempted by the various benefits of taking back the Middle East Road, and the instigation of all parties also made him tempted. In addition, his son died young and wanted to find a punching bag.

So my brain became hot and I ordered troops to be dispatched!

This war will be fought for more than 4 months, and the Northeast Army has suffered a crushing defeat. Therefore, the Soviet army occupied my country's Heixiazi Island, which became the most difficult issue in the future territorial dispute between China and Russia.

Zhang Xueliang was also beaten to lose confidence. From his youthful vigor when facing the Soviet Union, to his timid retreat when facing the Japanese Kwantung Army later, this is a subtle psychological transformation process.