The early morning sun shone on a small building next to the Wuhan provincial government, and there was a slight chill in the air, and the surroundings were quiet. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Chiang Kai-shek, chairman of the Chinese Military Commission, slowly walked to the balcony. He was dressed in a military uniform, his eyes were sunken, his eyes were bloodshot, and the top of his shaved head was blue-white.

A sparrow in the tree screamed and flew southeast. Chiang Kai-shek looked southeast in the direction of the sparrow, his lips twitched, and two tears slowly fell.

He stretched out his right hand, drew a cross on his chest, and said to himself: "My lord, please bless the citizens of Nanjing and my defeated army." Nanjing, I'm sorry for you! It is my incompetence in command that has cost the lives of my soldiers, so please let my Lord punish me, and no more punish my people, my soldiers! ”

"Darling, good morning." An intimate voice came.

Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, replaced them with a smiling face, looked back at his wife Song Meiling, and said, "Good morning, Darling." Sorry to disturb your rest. ”

Soong Meiling once lived in the United States for a long time, and her work and rest were in the American way, starting to sleep in the middle of the night and sleeping until morning, while Chiang Kai-shek fell asleep at 10 o'clock at night and got up in the morning.

Seeing her husband's smile, Song Meiling's heart felt like being pierced by the tip of a knife. She smiled and said, "Darling, you haven't been sleeping well these days. Don't worry about the people of Nanjing anymore, didn't the murderous 16th Division withdraw from Nanjing? You should have peace of mind. Isn't there a military meeting in the morning? Hurry up and have breakfast. ”

Chiang Kai-shek sighed, nodded, and said, "Madam, listen to Miss Kong Er, you still think of the front-line labor army. I don't think you're going to go. You were bombed by the Japanese on the front line in Shanghai, and you were wounded. It's horrible. ”

Song Meiling's beautiful and gentle face showed a hint of fortitude, and said, "Chairman ......"

Chiang Kai-shek was stunned, this title was too serious, and looked into the eyes of his wife.

Song Meiling continued: "Chairman of the Committee, not only do I have to go to the front line to work in the army, but you should also go to the front line to work in order to boost morale. ”

Chiang Kai-shek frowned.

"After the fiasco of Songhu and Nanjing, the officers and soldiers below are a little dissatisfied with you. Although you reviewed yourself at the Kaifeng meeting and declared that you were primarily responsible, it was better to go to the front. Although I walked around the front line and did not fight with a gun, the soldiers were very excited and their morale was high when they saw me. If you go to the front, I'm sure it will be even better! Song Meiling gently but firmly encouraged.

"Okay. When the battle of Xuzhou is at its most intense, I will definitely go to the front line to encourage the morale of the soldiers! Chiang Kai-shek said, his eyes showing fortitude and clenching his fists.

Song Meiling smiled, walked over and grabbed Chiang Kai-shek's arm, and said, "Darling, seeing the way you looked just now reminds me of your feat of being the captain of the death squad when you were young." More than 20 years have passed, and the heroic spirit has not diminished! ”

This sentence immediately evoked Chiang Kai-shek's memories that at the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution, Chiang Kai-shek was ordered to attack the Yamen of Hangzhou. Before the action, he wrote a suicide note to his mother, and after the action, he commanded the death squad to attack, and the bullets rained down, but he still couldn't stop the pace of the charge.

Chiang Kai-shek's depression was swept away, and he strode back to the living room.

On the table is breakfast a slice of papaya, a plate of scrambled eggs, a slice of toast, a pickled cucumber, and a glass of boiled water.

Chiang Kai-shek sat down and ate slowly. An adjutant next to him held a copy of the "Central Daily" and read: "The 16th Division of the Japanese Army, which is full of evil, has withdrawn from Nanjing, but the evil will always be there." ”

Hearing this, Chiang Kai-shek was stunned, put down the bread he had nibbled on, and stared at the newspaper.

Song Meiling coughed lightly and gestured to the adjutant with her eyes.

The adjutant understood, flipped through the newspaper in a hurry, looking for another report.

"Read on!" Chiang Kai-shek said, his voice low, but full of majesty.

The adjutant had no choice but to read:

"On 22 January, the Japanese 16th Division, notorious for its mass murder of Chinese civilians and prisoners, withdrew from Nanjing. According to Western media estimates, after six weeks of massacres, between 200,000 and 500,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians died, and Nanjing turned from a bustling city into a miserable hell......"

"Niang Xipi!" Chiang Kai-shek scolded and stood up suddenly, seeing Song Meiling's consternation, he said apologetically: "I'm sorry, madam, I lost my temper." Then he turned and walked out.

"Darling, finish breakfast and leave!" Song Meiling shouted anxiously.

Chiang Kai-shek walked out of the residence without looking back, his face instantly changed to a serious and calm demeanor, his head held high, and he strode forward. Guards along the way immediately stood up and saluted with their guns.

Chiang Kai-shek soon came to the door of the office, where two people were waiting, one was Chen Cheng, the commander of the Wuhan garrison, with a revised word; One is Dai Li, director of the Second Division of the Chinese National Rejuvenation Society, that is, the director of the Military Command Bureau soon after, alias Dai Yunong.

The three of them greeted each other and entered the office. On the wide desk is a telephone and a stack of papers, and behind it is a half-reclining and half-sitting chair that Chiang Kai-shek had injured in the waist during the Xi'an Incident, and Soong Meiling had specially built this chair.

Chiang Kai-shek sat down and said, "Yunong, how is the situation of the communist army now?" ”

Dai Li frowned and said, "Report to the chairman, the situation is not optimistic. ”

Chiang Kai-shek and Chen Cheng both looked at Dai Li in amazement.

Dai Li said: "Although the Eighth Route Army was established less than half a year ago, it has already penetrated into North China. They scattered the old eight roads and scattered them in North China like seeds, taking root and sprouting in every place. Now, the regular army has more than doubled, and local militias have organized more than 100,000. ”

Chiang Kai-shek frowned, was silent for a while, and scolded: "Niang Xipi, Zhang Xiaoliuzi misled the country!" ”

Zhang Xiaoliuzi, also known as Zhang Xueliang, the leader of the Northeast Army, launched the Xi'an Incident in 1935, forcing Chiang Kai-shek to abolish the principle of settling the outside world and the Communist Party, and unite against Japan. If it weren't for Zhang Xueliang, the 10,000 or 20,000 communist troops who retreated to Shaanxi would probably have been wiped out, and there would have been no large-scale development now.

Judging from later history, the communist army was indeed Chiang Kai-shek's henchmen, and it is no wonder that the old Chiang was bent on eliminating them. However, Lao Jiang was too clever and ordered Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army to attack the communist army, and naively went to Xi'an to personally supervise the battle, wanting to let the two sides fight for both sides and reap the benefits of the fisherman, so he forced Zhang Xueliang to the edge of the cliff and was counterattacked.

Chen Cheng smiled: "Chairman don't worry. Although the communist army developed rapidly, it did not last long. Now that the Japanese army is concentrating its main forces on attacking us, it will definitely clean up the communist army in the future. ”

Chiang Kai-shek nodded, and then said, "Cixiu, how is the Xuzhou side?" ”

Chen Cheng said: "Report to the chairman, the 5th and 10th divisions of the Japanese army on the northern front of Xuzhou are still preparing and have not attacked. On the southern front, the 9th and 13th divisions of the Japanese army attacked near the Huai River, and the Gui army was fighting fiercely with them. ”

Chiang Kai-shek's expression became solemn and he said: "Strictly order officers at all levels to bravely kill the enemy, and those who escape from the battle will not be forgiven, and Han Fuqu is their example!" ”

Han Fuqu was the chairman of Shandong Province, and he did not let go of a single shot, abandoning Jinan and Tai'an, causing great passivity to the national army. Chiang Kai-shek convened a military conference in Kaifeng, invited Han Fuqu to participate, seized the opportunity, arrested him, and quickly executed him.

Chen Cheng said yes.

"Cixiu, what do you think of the prospects for the Battle of Xuzhou?" Chiang Kai-shek said.

Chen Cheng hesitated for a moment and said: "After the defeat of Songhu and Nanjing, the morale of the soldiers is very depressed. In the Fifth Theater, there was only the Tang Enbo Group of the Central Army, and Li Zongren was now mainly under the Gui Army, the Northwest Army, the Northeast Army, the Sichuan Army and other miscellaneous armies, which were difficult to deal with the Japanese army, and it was estimated that it was about the same as Nanjing. But that's ......."

Chiang Kai-shek and Dai Li both looked at Chen Cheng suspiciously.

Chen Cheng smiled awkwardly and said, "Now that some soldiers have opinions about the chairman of the committee, Liu Xiang and Han Fuqu still want to collude to overthrow you, if Li Zongren wins a big victory at this time, it will inevitably enhance his prestige and threaten your position." ”

Chiang Kai-shek smiled bitterly and said, "Secret order Tang Enbo, you are not allowed to act without my order." Tang Enbo was a descendant of Chiang Kai-shek, served as the commander of the 31st Group Army, was stationed on the northern front of Xuzhou, and was now under the jurisdiction of Li Zongren of the Fifth Theater of Operations. Lao Jiang is not at ease with his old opponent and Li Zongren, and always keeps a hand.

Chen Cheng and Dai Li both nodded at Chiang Kai-shek, meaning that this is how it should be.

"What else is there news from Nanjing?" Chiang Kai-shek looked at Dai Li. Lao Jiang likes Nanjing too much, and the loss of Nanjing has always worried him.

Seeing Chiang Kai-shek's concerned eyes and bloodshot eyes, Dai Li's heart was sad, his brain teaser was quick, and he said: "Chairman, there is a rumor about Nanjing, do you want to hear it?" ”

Chiang Kai-shek's eyes lit up, and he estimated that it was a good thing, and his interest came up, and he said: "I am tired of reading the war reports, and they are all about retreating, asking for food, salaries, and soldiers." Tell me a rumor, please. ”

Dai Li immediately said: "These days, there is a rumor in Nanjing that Chairman Chiang sent a guard battalion to infiltrate Nanjing, codenamed Tyrannosaurus, to avenge the people of Nanjing, probably killing thousands of people, killing the 16th Division of the Japanese army in fear, and took the initiative to withdraw from Nanjing and go to the front. ”

Chiang Kai-shek was a little disappointed and said: "Where did I send the guard battalion, besides, even if I send it over and kill hundreds of Japanese soldiers, even if God blesses." This is nothing but the desire and conjecture of the hearts of the people. ”

Chen Cheng's face became solemn, looked at Dai Li, and said, "I also heard such a rumor. The point is, did the Japanese army suffer heavy losses? These rumors can't be groundless. ”

Dai Li became cramped and said: "Our men in Nanjing will either retreat or die, and we don't know the details of Nanjing at all, even the Nanjing Massacre. News like this that the Japanese army had suffered heavy losses, the Japanese army must have been tightly sealed and strictly forbidden to spread it. ”

Chiang Kai-shek stood up suddenly, looked at Dai Li, and said: "Order the secret service to immediately infiltrate Nanjing to investigate the massacre of civilians by the Japanese army and the so-called Tyrannosaurus massacre of the Japanese army. If it is my Kuomintang troops, I will reward them heavily; If it is the team of the communist army, it will be pulled over by unscrupulous means. ”

"Yes!" Dai Li replied loudly and stood up and saluted.