Outside the window, the sky covered with sunset is dyed purple red, quiet and magnificent. In this grove, guarded by a regiment of the Guards, there is nothing to recall that the enemy is attacking Nanking, that soldiers are pouring like huge waves to land and river, that cities and airports are being bombarded incessantly, that hungry children are dying in houses without fires, that some soldiers are being hanged in the streets, and that they have wooden signs on their chests: "I deserted, panicked, and dared to say that the war was lost." ”

"Alas, don't be sensational," said Zhan Guoqiang, "you are really panicking. The soldiers made me believe that Nanjing could not be attacked. The enemy will be crushed under the city of Nanjing. ”

"Soldiers can only lie to you, otherwise you will order their execution. They want to live, so they tell lies. I also wanted to live, but I told you the truth that sounded unpleasant. National Leader, agree to bring your peace proposal to the Command, approve me to do it, and negotiations can begin tomorrow. This time it was not us who made the proposal, but a man of international prestige, and who were all worried about invading the West. I want nothing more than to ask for your consent to my actions. ”

"At the end of the day, I have to be accountable to the Chairman for your actions."

"History will not forgive you for your negativity." He said bitterly, "You are responsible for the nation, and it will be under the rule of the Red Five Stars." ”

Zhan Guoqiang threw away the book in annoyance.

"You know, the Guards organization was established as the Wang Wei Guard, and I am its founder, and I cannot be a traitor."

"Traitor? Who did you rebel against? Rebel against the stupid, unimaginable madman who dragged us to the grave. ”

"What, did you ask me to remove Wang Wei from his post?" Zhan Guoqiang said sneeringly.

"That's exactly what I suggest you do." He replied, "You have enough loyal people to you." It only takes a few minutes to arrest Wang Wei, so your hands are free. Full surrender on the Western Front, fighting on the Eastern Front. Don't you think it's your duty to move all our forces to the Eastern Front? ”

Zhan Guoqiang clapped his hands: "But how can I explain to the people who worship Wang Wei as a god?" ”

"People have hated him to the core." He sternly retorted, "The nation will always hate the leader who leads the people to disaster, and the nation will worship the victor." ”

"No, no, no," Zhan Guoqiang said continuously. He stood up and walked briskly around the office two times, "I can't betray the past. Don't you remember those days after our seizure of power? Don't you remember the times when we were all united and triumphant as brothers? We ......"

Feeling extremely tired, he angrily interrupted Zhan Guoqiang's words, "National leader, what brother? What are you talking about? Aren't the others the Führer's brothers? Or is it Lao Wan? But they were put to death like dogs. Don't think about the past, national leader, think about the future, you have to call on the unity of the people to fight against the opposition, announce the total surrender on the Western Front, Wang Wei is seriously ill, let him hand over power to you. ”

"But he's not sick."

"He no longer exists," he said, exhausted, and deceitful, "only the shell, the myth, and the shadow, but when he quietly announced that the heir had asked for his removal from office due to a heart attack, the shadow was believed." People also believe in you, and now people believe in everything. ”

Early the next morning, Zhan Guoqiang brought the Imperial Minister of Health to meet him. The minister hesitated, he thought of Wang Wei's personal doctor who had become a traitor, but then Zhan Guoqiang promised him to quickly leave for refuge in the countryside, so he lowered his voice and said fearfully

"The chairman is completely sick. His psychological condition was on the verge of collapse. Now that he doesn't have a doctor by his side, he may be mentally refreshed at any time.

After he left, Zhan Guoqiang asked, "Do you think he won't report our conversation to Wu Sibao?" ”

"He's gone to the country, leader of the nation," he smiled coldly, "he won't call the Bunker, he's lucky that he can get out, he's a man of sound mind." ”

"Well, let's say I'm talking about a fantasy possibility, and nothing else. I take my men to the Prime Minister's House, and if I walk into the office and say that I remove him from his post, what will happen to this shivering patient? He won't understand what I'm talking about all of a sudden. You know, he's very gullible, he trusts others like a child, and we're all around him all the time, so how can we look into his eyes? ”

"This is such a man leading the Guard," he thought distressedly, "I am working for the tiny people, all of whom are terrified of their own admirers, and they are reaping the consequences. ”

"National Leader, while you were talking to the minister, I hung up the phone; The delegates to the World Assembly had flown to the vicinity of Sri Lanka and asked to be seen. Behind him are important figures on Wall Street. You have to understand that once you have met that person, you will be able to explain to him that the movement is nothing more than a product of you, that you have nothing to do with you, that you have done and are doing everything you can to save the people in prison. The whole world hates us because we have a barbaric policy, and you must understand that if you do not draw a clear line with Wang, not only will you be an enemy, but history will not forgive you for this barbaric medieval act, and even your countrymen will not forgive. They will ask, well, we burned down the enemy's houses and drove them away, but why are we still starving? Why were we bombed, why did we drive out the enemy and we still lost the war? How do you answer them? But the contact person came, and it was a deal. He will make you a savior for everyone, as long as you fulfill their wishes now,"

"But Wang Wei can't bear it, and you know how sensitive he is to this issue."

"Hell he, and this problem. What we are facing is our own problem, and that is the main thing. After the attack of that madman who wants to know nothing but questions, let's let them go to hell unharmed, think about the people, the leaders of the country racked their brains too much for others. ”

"No," Zhan replied, "the chairman can't bear this matter, wait, don't force me, I have to get used to it." ”

"How long are you going to get used to?"

Zhan Guoqiang sneered. His face was shaking, his eyes were watery with eyes, as if he had entered the sand, and his tongue was swollen and black from too much smoking, "You can't waste any more time. Believe me, I am thinking about me and I am thinking about you when I speak to you, because you are the only one who can save us all right now. Give you a few hours. You still have the power for now, but once they completely surround Nanjing, then no one will be interested in you. ”

"What do you say?" "I'm an official after all," he said unevenly. ”

"For now." Zhan Guoqiang replied, "Please forgive me for being bold, but I have no right to lie to you again, so I will repeat it; You are for the time being. ”

The deviation of concepts, the recollection of the majesty of the past, the dullness of the sense of time and space, the lack of sensibility, and the terrible but legal game between the two of them.

They make plans and run around feverishly. On a road crowded with fleeing people, the guards pushed the refugees down the gutter and almost shot at them. The two of them had endless phone conversations about all the connections they could get along. They were unwilling, and more likely unable to believe even themselves, that enemy tanks and artillery had occupied the sortie area and were preparing to attack the center of Nanjing. Now every minute of progress is everything.

Zhan Guoqiang still made the last appearance in Nanjing. While actively conducting surveillance operations, Chang Kaishen sent a telegram to his agent outside the country, entrusting him to complete the operation that had already begun, which was intended to enable them to "buy" the ciphered interpreters in Operation Group 76. In a series of deciphered telegrams, the telegram code sent by Li Guangyuan to his superiors was bound to fall into the hands of others.

According to Chang Kaishen's logic, this cannot but lead people to take further positive actions. After Yan'an learned about Zhan Guoqiang's full contact with Western society through the "lighthouse", Washington could not but evaluate the possible consequences. This presupposes that one side takes urgent steps, either that side extends its hand to Zhan Guoqiang and quickly signs a separate peace agreement to deal with the Bolshevik trend, or it openly draws a line of demarcation with Zhan Guoqiang, so that there is only one force left in the country, Wu Sibao, who alone can become the plenipotentiary heir to the party and foreign intelligence networks.

Chang Kaishen knew that Zhan Guoqiang finally decided to negotiate and. After reaching an agreement on the unkilled opponents, Zhan Guoqiang's enthusiasm soared to an astonishing degree, and he traveled more than 1,000 miles day and night, eating and living in his own car. He relied on highly effective drugs to sustain his energy. The person becomes emaciated and the wrinkles of aging appear on the eyelids.

On the eve of the decisive talks, Zhan Guoqiang met with Vice Minister of Finance Gong Ziwen and Minister of Labor Song Dashan, as Chang Kaishen had learned.

Song Dashan insisted on immediate negotiations with the West; Confucius suggested forcing Wang to declare a referendum, create an opposition, and dissolve the military tribunals that had turned the country into a gallows-strewn prison without issuing a proclamation.

The next day, someone flew to Nanjing, which was under siege. Zhan Guoqiang, dressed in uniform, greeted him and Amir, a delegate to the World Assembly, at the Lukou military airport, just a few kilometers from Wang's residence.

The first meeting with Zhan Guoqiang was held in Purple Mountain. The captain had been working as a secretary to Zhan Guoqiang since 1915, and he had wanted to use shorthand to record the conversation, but they found that Zhan Guoqiang was at a loss and behaved strangely. He was convincing the other party that all the political "misunderstandings" were entirely the fault of the astrologers who confused the Kuomintang veterans, so Zhan Guoqiang stopped him from doing so.

"What matters is what we care about now." The representative interrupted Zhan Guoqiang's words. This is the life of the Americans, the British and the French. 'The lives of their citizens in China. If you assure us that they will not be killed, we are ready to comply with your requests that we make. ”

Zhan Guoqiang asked, "But what about the Japanese and Vietnamese?" ”

The envoy shrugged, "I don't have the authority to solve this problem, let the competent people take care of them, my interests are clear." ”

"Yes, but I have ordered that a list of all the places where the Americans are detained be forwarded." Zhan Guoqiang said, "I did expel them from the country, and it was in the comfort of a first-class carriage on a ship or train, without violating their human dignity in the slightest, and it was not my fault, which ......."

At this point, the envoy interrupted him: "Sir, do you guarantee that the press under your control will make a weighty statement on the position taken by the head of the country, the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Mei Sipin, and his close comrades-in-arms?" ”

"There is no doubt," replied the envoy, "if you have protected the lives of the unfortunate, I am first interested in these people, whose list I have prepared, all relatives of the most respected businessmen, and the press will tell the truth about the position taken by the Minister of the Interior, Zhan Guoqiang, and you under the influence exerted by us. ”

"I'm not alone, sir, if we don't have thousands of people who are by Mr. Zhan Guoqiang's side anytime and anywhere, I won't be able to serve you tomorrow."

"I am ready to give the order," Mr. Zhan said, "to move all the people in the prison out, which will save them from possible indecent assault by the guards." The families of these guards died in the bombing, and now is a time of terror, people's hearts are very ruthless, anything can happen. ”

After consulting with the envoys, Zhan Guoqiang and Ding Mocun sent him to the military airfield and flew away, and then they left for other residences, where Li Shiqun was already waiting for them.

"You have to help me get in touch with that side." Zhan Guoqiang trembled with fear, and said, "I am a soldier with him, and we will make peace." I was ready to surrender on the Western Front, to block the Bolsheviks only on the Eastern Front. ”

Ding Mocun coughed and replied softly, "I will do my best." ”

After the meeting, Zhan Guoqiang stayed in the office, and Ding Mocun told Zhan Guoqiang when he got into the car, "I was two weeks late in making my own proposal." He was supposed to present me with the idea of surrendering on the Western Front when the enemy had not surrounded Nanking. Zhan Guoqiang's era is over. Think about yourself and think seriously about yourself. ”

"In which direction?" He asked eagerly.

Ding Mocun slammed the door behind and replied, "Try to get your troops in the Northeast and North China to surrender." I think your future is on that. ”

Chang Kaishen sent a telegram to the intelligence center in Yan'an, reporting these things. The telegram used Li Guangyuan's cipher, which the Americans had mastered.

Chang Kaishen intends to spend every hour and every minute to sow discord, like digging up the ground while arguing about a huge tent by the lake. The long, blue-eyed pike in the lake make a rattling sound among the reeds.

Every minute and hour should be an effort to grow suspicion, to fill the East and West with a sense of distrust that meets within their borders, and that anything is feasible as long as it is not shaken. Zhan Guoqiang was shaken, so he lost. Chang Kaishen doesn't know how to waver, he believes in taking action, so he still has hope of winning.

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