The north wind was strong and the night was dark.

Beijing, Zhongnanhai, in the New Year's Hall of Fengze Garden in the South China Sea, Xiao Mubai borrowed the lamp on the table and read the official documents in front of him with a pen like flying.

At present, in China, the financial and commodity prices have been initially stabilized, industrial and agricultural production has been gradually restored, and the morale of the army, the people, and the morale of the people have risen to an unprecedented high because of the continuous victories in foreign wars. Although everything seems to be developing for the better, people like him who stand on a high ground know that the nascent Communist Party administration still needs to continue to make the greatest efforts and even make huge sacrifices in the military, foreign affairs, internal affairs, and economic construction.

At this time, it was already more than ten o'clock in the evening, and Xiao Mubai had just put down a document entitled Preparing for the Political Consultative Conference, and Yang Shukan, director of the General Office, walked in in a hurry.

Before Xiao Mubai could ask, Yang Shukan was already standing next to his desk, took out a telegram from the folder, and took the lead in speaking: "Chairman, Commander Zhang Xiaohuai sent an urgent telegram from North Korea!" ”

"Oh? But what happened on the battlefield? Seeing that Yang Shukan was so anxious and flustered, Xiao Mubai hurriedly reached out and took the telegram and looked at it.

The telegram was not very long, only more than 30 words, but the meaning expressed in these more than 30 words made Xiao Mubai's heart suddenly tighten. He really didn't expect that Shen Bingkun's most distressed youngest son, the talented and enthusiastic young man named Shen Shaoqing, would die on the battlefield like this. How so? At this moment, he could even think of Premier Shen Bingkun's grief-stricken expression after hearing the bad news. The loss of a child in old age is absolutely unbearable!

"Chairman, how are we going to report this to the Prime Minister?" Seeing that Xiao Mubai's face also turned ugly, Yang Shukan asked cautiously.

Xiao Mubai put down the telegram, and after a while, he asked, "The Prime Minister, does you already know the news?" ”

"No, we didn't dare to report it to him!" Yang Shukan replied.

The receiver of Zhongnanhai did not know what to do with the telegram after receiving the telegram drawn up by Zhang Xiaohuai himself. They did not send it directly to Shen Bingkun, but first found him, the director of the General Office of the Central Committee. But what about finding him, he can't do things like this, and in the end, he doesn't have to report to Xiao Mubai and wait for his opinion to deal with it.

"When I received a call from Vice Premier Xu Shichang's office, he said that I would go over to him immediately." Xiao Mubai had never dealt with such a thing, and now he could only go to someone to discuss.

At this time, Xiao Mubai couldn't care if Xu Shichang had rested. In his opinion, there are many high-level party and government personnel in Zhongnanhai now, and no one can be out of Xu Shichang when it comes to sleek changes and world conditions. Therefore, how to deal with this matter safely, the first thing he thought of was to listen to Xu Shichang's opinion.

"Yes, Chairman!" When Yang Shu heard this, he immediately turned around and dialed the phone.

……

Xu Shichang's office is located in the East Flower Hall, only a 20-minute walk from Fengze Garden. At this time, he naturally did not rest, and he was tirelessly reading some documents.

After several decades in the sea of Huan Hai, although his political character is not very perfect, but he has inherited the fine character of the Chinese traditional knowledge elements, has extensive knowledge, and loves the country, since he has decided to take up important positions in the new regime, it is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of the policies advocated by the Communist Party and the concept of governance.

At this moment, what Xu Shichang holds in his hands is the current statistics of China's annual steel production.

"The Hanyang Iron Works, which Zhang Zhidong built with half his life, had an annual output of 40,000 tons of steel in its most glorious period. However, this Panzhihua Iron and Steel Plant has an annual output of more than 1.5 million tons of steel in the first phase of the project alone! So after the completion of the second phase of the project, how much output should there be? Xu Shichang looked at these, but there were constant exclamations in his heart.

The steel industry, which is one of the foundations of all industrialized countries, is a powerful measure of a country's strength. How could he, who had implemented the New Deal in the former Qing Dynasty, not know this? Don't you see that Japan, a close neighbor to the east, has only produced more than 300,000 tons of steel annually since the Meiji Restoration, and has suddenly become the largest power in Asia and among the top ten powers in the world? Yuan Gongbao and Beiyang are indeed unjustly losing!

After thinking about this, Xu Shichang looked at the time, and was about to put down the documents in his hand and prepare to rest. But he didn't want to, at this time, his secretary Chen Zutao suddenly knocked on the door and walked in.

"Guofu (Chen Zutao), it's so late, but what's the matter?" In his heart, he was very satisfied with the secretary assigned to him by the General Office. Not to mention that people are young and diligent, their brains are also very flexible, and more importantly, they have extraordinary insights.

Chen Zutao's face looked a little solemn, and he only heard his voice say in a low voice: "Yes, Vice Premier." Just now, Director Yang of the Central Office of the CPC Central Committee called, Chairman Xiao will come to your side later! ”

"Chairman Xiao is coming over?" Xu Shichang was shocked, coming over so late, could it be that something big had happened? You must know that the high-level officials in Zhongnanhai usually do not meet each other if it is not for attending meetings or major events, and communication is usually based on written instructions and telephone contact.

Director Yang's voice sounded very anxious, presumably Chairman Xiao was already on his way here at this time. Chen Zutao nodded affirmatively and spoke again.

Xu Shichang bowed slightly, but his face became extremely dignified, and he was especially worried in his heart.

Sure enough, in less than twenty minutes, Xiao Mubai and his party had already arrived at the door. Xu Shichang greeted him out, and after the two finished greetings, everyone went to the living room and took their seats.

"Vice Premier Xu, it shouldn't be bothered late at night, but now there is something I think about it, and I think you can help with the idea." Xiao Mubai pondered for a moment, and said with a hint of apology on his face. While speaking, he also handed the telegram in his hand to Xu Shichang.

Xu Shichang's face was puzzled, but when he took the telegram and looked at it, he was suddenly shocked! He couldn't believe his eyes, until he looked at them again, and then he said with a hint of surprise: "What the telegram says, but is it true?" ”

Shen Bingkun's matter of sending his beloved son to the battlefield in Korea has long been spread in Zhongnanhai, whether you say that he is selfless or selfless, or you say that he is famous and famous, but people really did it. Xu Shichang knew that he couldn't do such a thing, and he didn't dare to do it. Therefore, comparing his heart to his heart, he only has admiration for his "boss" Shen Bingkun in his heart. However, I didn't want such a thing to happen now.

Xiao Mubai's face sank like water, and he nodded slowly: "There is no doubt about Shaoqing's martyrdom. In your opinion, how do we inform Premier Shen of this? ”

"My opinion, this matter, go tell Premier Shen Bingkun tomorrow!" Xu Shichang pinched this extraordinary telegram, and after a long time, he expressed his opinion.

"So? Isn't that a little bit inappropriate? After all, Premier Shen is old, and when he suddenly hears bad news, will his body ......" Xiao Mubai was a little worried in his heart.

Xu Shichang didn't understand such a truth, he was also a father, he could understand and imagine that Shen Bingkun looked like he was in pain after learning the news. How can the pain of losing a child in old age be endured?

Therefore, he sighed and said, "This matter should be sooner rather than later, and what should come is going to come after all." ”

"It's good!" Xiao Mubai's face sank like water, and he nodded slowly and said, "This matter will trouble Vice Premier Xu." In addition, these days, there is a lot of trouble for you to worry about government affairs! ”

Xu Shichang nodded yes, and when he saw Xiao Mubai get up, he sent him out of the door, and then looked in the direction of the West Flower Hall, and sighed deeply.

……

In Zhongnanhai, Xiao Mubai and Xu Shichang were disturbed. On the Pyongyang side, many officers in the Northeast Military Region Command actually felt uncomfortable, especially Zhang Xiaohuai. At this time, his lips were chapped, his eyes were dark, and his heart was full of self-blame and remorse.

"Commander, the call back from Chairman Xiao of Beijing has arrived!"

As the staff officer spoke, he handed over the folder with both hands, and on the top page was Xiao Mubai's callback. I saw that it was written: Zhang Xiaohuai, Xiong Tong, and Li Gengen and other comrades: I have read the call, and I am very sorry to know the sacrifice of Comrade Shen Shaoqing! However, Comrade Shen Shaoqing's sacrifice is glorious and great, and you and other comrades can fight the war with peace of mind, and you must not bear a psychological burden. Finally, I hope that the officers and men of your unit will be able to overcome difficulties, summon up courage, continue to fight bravely, and annihilate the enemy troops in front of them. The expectations of the country can be told below, and the heroic souls of the martyrs can be comforted!

After reading the telegram, Zhang Xiaohuai blinked his bloodshot eyes, reached out and took out a cigarette in his coat pocket and lit it, and sat there, stunned. The room was silent again, no one spoke, no one moved, and everyone felt the guilt that the commander had suppressed in their hearts.

After smoking the second cigarette, Zhang Xiaohuai extinguished the cigarette butt, walked to the sand table, and then pointed to a place and said in a hoarse voice: "Order the 54th Division to speed up the troop journey, rush to the Tushan area, and block the retreat of the 6th Division of the Japanese Army for me." Then, in cooperation with the 10th Division, the 6th Division of the Japanese Army was wiped off the face of the earth. ”

"Tell the brothers on the front line, Michiji Umezawa, the 6th Division, I don't want to see their people again, hear their names again!"