Since the Treaty of Xincho, the Chinese customs have been in the hands of foreigners, and the same is true of the Guangdong customs, and the customs director has always been in the hands of the British. After the general strike in Hong Kong and Guangdong, the striking workers organized pickets to blockade Hong Kong, and all ships bound for Hong Kong were inspected and seized once prohibited items such as food, cloth, and medicine were found. After seizing seven or eight ships in succession, the Guangzhou Customs announced that the picket search had interfered with the normal order of the Customs, and that the Customs could not accept such interference, so it announced that the Customs would be suspended.

Chiang Kai-shek decided to adopt Zhuang Jihua's opinion, and after the big things were turned into small things and the small things were turned into small things, Zhuang Jihua reported the reorganization of the Sichuan army and the next work plan in front of all the giants of the party army. After hearing this, Chiang Kai-shek asked about some more information, and he asked very carefully, not only about the soldiers' ideological life, but also about the lectures and the meat that the soldiers ate once a few days; Director Zhou and Liao Zhongkai also interjected from time to time, but fortunately, Zhuang Jihua ran below almost every day, personally handled every incident, and was very familiar with the situation of the troops, otherwise he would have been asked by Chiang Kai-shek, but he was also a little puzzled, how did Chiang Kai-shek know so much about the situation of the troops.

In the end, Zhuang Jihua solemnly made a request, he hoped that Chiang Kai-shek, Liao Zhongkai and Director Zhou would take time to take a fresh trip, he told them his worries about the Youth Army Association and Sun Xuexue, and also talked about the precautions he had taken, but he was worried that neither Jiang Xianyun nor Zeng Guangqing might be able to suppress them, so he could only hope for the support of the high-level.

"How do you want us to support you?" Director Zhou frowned, the conflict between the two sessions was criticized a lot in the district committee, and he was suppressed by him in the party army, but it became more and more intense in the military academy, and there have been several fights like that in Meixian.

"Well, you have even thought about this, I can rest assured." Through the interrogation of Zhuang Jihua just now, Chiang Kai-shek felt more correct about his decision to use Zhuang Jihua in the first place: "Say, what do you need us to do." ”

Chiang Kai-shek's heart was on fire, although he agreed to make the big things small and the small things small, but this kind of assassination that was obviously aimed at himself could not be traced, and the main messenger would not be punished in any way, which made him feel a kind of humiliation, and also made him more deeply hope to increase his strength as soon as possible, and the reorganization of the Sichuan army was a shortcut to quickly increase its strength, and he instantly decided not to allow anyone to destroy this integration.

"I would like to ask the president and party representatives to announce to the Kuomintang members that anyone who instigates contradictions between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party during the reorganization period, resulting in such a serious incident as the Meixian brawl, will be expelled from the party and the military." Zhuang Jihua solemnly proposed his idea to Chiang Kai-shek and Liao Zhongkai.

"Troubled times use heavy codes, okay, I agree." Chiang Kai-shek immediately expressed his support, Liao Zhongkai looked at Chiang Kai-shek, and asked with some doubts: "Cultural Revolution, is it necessary to deal with it so seriously?" Arguments should be allowed. ”

He Yingqin also interjected: "Yes, Cultural Revolution, you just said that there is a shortage of cadres, and now such a heavy punishment is stipulated, isn't there even fewer cadres?" ”

"Party representatives, commanders-,...,in-chief, division commanders, for the way of generals, first correct oneself and then correct people, the reorganization of the Sichuan army is mainly ideological reorganization, it is even more required to correct oneself first and then correct people, if the soldiers see hundreds of instructors fighting in groups, will those instructors teach the soldiers again in the future?"

"I think that's it, Brother Zhongkai, respect, I don't think it's anything, the purpose of the original establishment was to let them unite their classmates, but now not only has they failed to unite their classmates, but they are splitting their classmates, besides, announcing the punishment first can be regarded as a warning. Restructuring is a top priority, and everything else has to give way. Chiang Kai-shek resolutely said that he had given up even tracking down the murderer, and there was nothing else he could not give up.

Liao Zhongkai is right to think about it, reorganization is the top priority at present, and there can be no accidents no matter what, so he also nodded in agreement. He Yingqin's eyes flickered, he was jealous and envious, Zhuang Jihua got up too fast, less than a year after leaving the school, he actually led 20,000 people to reorganize, as soon as the reorganization is over, then he is not the division commander, the army commander, surpassing many Whampoa instructors, and he is on an equal footing with himself, and in a few years, I am afraid that he will have to succumb to it.

"Director Zhou, I would also like to ask you to announce the same decision to your classmates." Zhuang Jihua turned his head and said to Director Zhou.

Director Zhou thought about it before saying: "I don't have the right to announce such a punishment, only the district party committee has this power, but I agree with your proposition, I will go to negotiate with the comrades of the district committee, and the district committee will issue such a decision." ”

Chiang Kai-shek's resolute attitude made Director Zhou unable to shirk, and if Director Zhou had any intention of opposing or retreating at this time, then what happened in the future, Chiang Kai-shek would definitely blame [***] for provocation. However, Director Zhou was also sure to push the Guangdong District Committee to make such a decision, and the Comintern had already made a decision to vigorously strengthen Chiang Kai-shek's strength and push Chiang Kai-shek to continue to persist in anti-imperialism.

The next day, Zhuang Jihua went to the national political axe to report to Wang Jingwei, but he didn't expect Wang Jingwei to hold an emergency meeting, Zhuang Jihua waited outside the office for more than two hours, Wang Jingwei and Liao Zhongkai came out of the conference room, and the two walked to the office while talking.

Outside the office door, Wang Jingwei saw Zhuang Jihua waiting there, hurriedly greeted him, pushed the door open and went in, Liao Zhongkai followed behind, and was about to go in, but suddenly turned sideways and beckoned Zhuang Jihua to go in together, Zhuang Jihua didn't care, so he followed Liao Zhongkai to Wang Jingwei's office.

"Brother Zhongkai, there are still those difficulties in finance, if you talk to Ziwen again, it will be less than one million a year, those places can be saved, they will be saved first, and those that can be postponed will be slowed down first." Wang Jingwei turned his back to Liao Zhongkai and said as he walked. When he turned around, he found that Zhuang Jihua had also entered the office, and he couldn't help but be stunned, and then said with a smile: "Cultural Revolution, you are also here, sit, sit down and say." ”

Liao Zhongkai did not sit down, but stood at the desk in Wang Jingwei's office: "Support the provincial and Hong Kong strikes (Author's note, since the Shamian Concession joined the strike, it is no longer just a Hong Kong strike. The cost of the workers, the cost of building roads, the cost of expanding the Shijing Arsenal, these cannot be saved, the expansion of the party army is funded by Soviet Russia, and the political axe does not need much money, and it can only be saved from other aspects. ”

"Brother Zhongkai, the comrades also mentioned it just now, can't the road construction really be slow?" Wang Jingwei lifted the water bottle and poured a glass of water for Liao Zhongkai, and then walked towards Zhuang Jihua, Zhuang Jihua quickly stood up and wanted to take the water bottle from Wang Jingwei's hand, Wang Jingwei waved his hand lightly, signaling him not to move.

"This can't be saved, Wu Chaoshu and Zou Lu only saw the cost of road construction, but they didn't see that it was more about providing employment opportunities for the striking workers, so that they could have a job to earn money to support their families, and saving this would have a great impact on the strike union." Liao Zhongkai firmly disagreed.

"Alas, after arguing for hours, nothing came of it. Provincial education expenses, Wrinkled Haibin (i.e. Zou Lu) wants to fight hard with me, save military expenses, all armies are complaining, borrow money, but Song Ziwen said that the money is tight and there is no money to borrow. You can't save it here. What do you want me to do. Wang Jingwei lamented.

"Or only by unifying taxes, only when taxes are unified, can the income of the political axe increase, and there will be money. Zhaoming, you should make up your mind, there is no other way. Liao Zhongkai insisted on his view.

Zhuang Jihua listened to it for a long time, except for knowing that the national political axe was in financial difficulties and had no money, he was at a loss at all. So he honestly sat there and listened to the two bigwigs arguing there.

"Brother Zhongkai, you know, I support unified taxation, but this matter is not urgent, you have to let Ruwei (that is, Xu Chongzhi) think about it." Wang Jingwei persuaded, but his handsome face also showed helplessness.

"Alas, you're just indecisive." Liao Zhongkai was anxious, his eyebrows were furrowed, and his tone was hurried: "Now that the political axe has no money, even if the road is not built, it will not last for a few months." The British saw this, so they stopped, and they were forcing us to surrender to them. ”

Wang Jingwei leaned back in his chair and lamented: "What about unified taxation, you are the Minister of Finance, you should know that after the strike, the commercial tax has also been reduced a lot, you look outside, how many ships are coming to Guangzhou, they don't stop or not, in fact, it's the same." ”

"How can it be the same, Guan Yu still has tens of millions, enough for us to last for a year." Looking at Wang Jingwei's appearance, Liao Zhongkai was a little helpless, walked to the sofa opposite Zhuang Jihua and sat down, leaned on the backrest a little dejectedly, pressed the temples on both sides with his hands, and said casually: "Cultural Revolution, you said no." ”

Wang Jingwei seemed to remember that Zhuang Jihua was also here, he stood up and asked, "Cultural Revolution, do you have anything to do?" ”

Zhuang Jihua stood up and said: "Report to Chairman Wang, I am here to report on the reorganization of the Sichuan Army. ”

"Oh," Wang Jingwei then remembered that the military committee was responsible for the reorganization of the Sichuan army, and Zhuang Jihua was only responsible for the implementation. Thinking of the reorganization of the Sichuan Army, he couldn't help but sigh again: "There is also the Sichuan Army, and this reorganization fee cannot be saved." ”

"Yes. 20,000 people, hundreds of thousands a month, I went up there to find this money. Liao Zhongkai's hand was still moving softly on his temples.

"Chairman Wang, party representative, what happened? Do you want to be embarrassed? Zhuang Jihua asked tentatively.

"It's nothing, it's just that there's no money." Liao Zhongkai muttered.

"Tell him, young people have brains, maybe there is a way. My teeth seem to be hurting again. Wang Jingwei said and took a breath, he felt that the toothache was about to attack again.

Liao Zhongkai sighed and told Zhuang Jihua about the announcement of the customs closure, Zhuang Jihua asked puzzled that the customs was not in our hands, and what did he have to do with the announcement of the closure. Liao Zhongkai shook his head and said: "The relationship is big, the customs tariffs are deducted from the annual provisions to repay the indemnity stipulated in the Xinchou Treaty, and the rest is called Guan Yu, which is handed over to the National Politics Axe by Guangzhou Customs, and now he has announced the closure of the customs, and these customs surpluses will not be handed over to the National Politics Axe." Guan Yu accounts for about 50 percent of the fiscal revenue of the national political axe. ”

Only then did Zhuang Jihua understand that with a loss of nearly half of the fiscal revenue, I am afraid that the finance minister of any country will have a headache. He thought about it and asked, "Can we take back customs now?" ”

"It is very difficult, the strike in Hong Kong is only against the United Kingdom, and the recovery of customs is aimed at the entire powers, and the prime minister wanted to forcibly take back the customs at the beginning, but the powers of various countries have interfered, and in the end the prime minister has to give up." Liao Zhongkai is talking about Sun Yat-sen's forced withdrawal of customs due to the Guanyu incident in 23 and 24, as a result, the powers sent dozens of warships, and Sun Yat-sen was finally forced to give up.

Zhuang Jihua pondered for a moment and then laughed, his laughter became louder and louder, Liao Zhongkai and Wang Jingwei looked at him a little inexplicably, not knowing why he suddenly laughed.

"I really don't know which genius boy gave this idea to the British, and the national political axe should give him a heavy medal."

Wang Jingwei and Liao Zhongkai couldn't help but be stunned.

Author's note: In the real history, the closure of Guangdong Customs was in February 26, but due to butterfly wings, it was advanced.

(To be continued)