Ngo Dinh Diem's life as a widower is not as mysterious as the legend suggests, nor is it so monotonous and boring.

He's actually quite humorous, and occasionally makes a joke or two; He loved to read, not only religious books, but also philosophical and famous works, including those of Marx and Engels.

He has a hobby of photography and is a good technician.

In his spare time, he always carries his only luxury camera, asks Li Weimin to go out for a walk with him, and then helps him take pictures. When I go back to the apartment and rinse myself with the potion, I can't help but smile when I see a picture in the potion, as if I have done a very, very great thing.

As the situation in Vietnam deteriorated, he visited Bao Da Estate more often and received more and more letters.

From morning to night, he often worked until late at night to answer telegrams or letters from the United States and Saigon, and could not even take care of food. Life is irregular, the addiction to smoking is getting bigger and bigger, and I almost never leave my hand. There is no taste in the bitter food in the mouth, so that the taste becomes more and more heavy, and the food should be salted more, so salty that Li Weimin does not dare to use the knife and fork.

He was not good at English, and Li Weimin certainly could not watch him refer to the English-French dictionary and read or reply to letters from the United States word by word, and unknowingly became his translator and assistant.

"In the last days of the fighting, the rainy season was extremely harsh, with dark clouds and heavy rain. The situation is getting worse, but the French Air Force continues to airdrop supplies, and on May 5, a total of 196 tons were airdropped. As the French positions continued to shrink and become smaller and smaller, and a large amount of supplies fell into the hands of the Viet Minh, they soon put on French military uniforms or American steel helmets and launched a new round of attacks on the French army. ”

In order to get a more objective understanding of the situation, friends of the Catholic Church in the United States sent an airmail package every day, which was full of newspapers containing Indochinese news and political trends in Washington, sometimes as many as dozens of copies.

Li Weimin acted as an interpreter, holding the newspaper and whispering: "On May 6, the French army was forced to abandon its positions in the strongholds of Gate and Claudina, inch by inch. The ferocious hand-to-hand combat between the two sides is almost like returning to the barbaric era. One Viet Minh soldier fell, another Viet Minh soldier rushed forward with the fervor of martyrdom, the French ran out of ammunition and food, and the defensive circle shrank smaller and smaller.

On the morning of May 7, another group of Vietnamese soldiers attacked, and the last stronghold finally collapsed. In the afternoon of the same day, the French defensive line in Dien Bien Phu began to crumble, with only a few isolated positions engaged in sporadic fighting. In order to avoid another needless night of bloody fighting, the French commander Castelli announced a cessation of fighting at 5:03 p.m. ......"

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which lasted for several months, ended with the annihilation of the French army, and the flag was lowered at half-mast at the Elysee Palace (the official residence of the French president), causing the greatest sensation in the Western world since the ceasefire of the Korean War.

As soon as the French army was defeated, any Vietnamese would be excited about it. However, the strength of the Vietminh has been exposed, and people are worried.

Wu Tingyan lit another cigarette and said expressionlessly, "Is there anything else?" ”

"Yes."

Li Weimin pulled out another newspaper, sat down and said: "There is information that the victory of the Vietminh is inseparable from China's support. They had a large military advisory corps in North Vietnam, and they sent technical units to guide and even participated in the artillery battle of Dien Bien Phu, which played a decisive role in the entire campaign. ”

"Expected."

Wu Tingyan nodded slightly, staring at the wall clock on the wall and no longer making a sound.

He was waiting for news, for news from his American friends, and his American friends, Cardinal Francis Spelman and Professor Wesley Fisher, were also in a hotel room not far from the White House, waiting for news from Senator Mansfield, who was making a last-ditch effort at the White House.

The defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu led to the gloating of Bishop Spelman, who thought that the value of his Vietnamese friends in Washington would rise.

It's just that the previous efforts have not achieved remarkable results, and the bureaucrats and the military do not have a high evaluation of Diem, there are too many variables, and there is really no bottom in my heart, and as time passes minute by minute, I gradually become a little anxious.

He prayed secretly, then suddenly raised his head and asked, "Professor, has Mr. Yan reached a consensus with Emperor Baoda?" ”

Professor Fischer shook his head, "Your Excellency, our mutual friend cannot tolerate the military command remaining in the hands of the low-spirited French, and that His Majesty seems reluctant to give up military command, even though he never really had it. ”

Bishop Spelman and Ngo Dinh Diem's second brother, Ngo Dinh Lim, were seminary classmates and had a certain political influence in the United States, and were Ngo Dinh Diem's most powerful supporters.

He cursed the power-hungry abdicated emperor, and was about to say something when Senator Mansfield pushed open the door and walked in.

The two of them hurriedly got up, and the senator waved his hand, and smiled excitedly: "Your Excellency, professor, although there is a certain gap between what we expected, we must admit that our previous efforts have not been in vain, and we have finally won a good result." ”

Bishop Spelman was ecstatic and asked, "Mr. President agreed?" ”

"Yes, it's worth mentioning that Mr. Secretary of State played a big role."

"Disagree?"

"Not only that, but there are a lot of them, and the resistance is very great."

The senator threw his coat down his chair and introduced it in a colorful voice: "The ambassador to France has provided a report claiming that Mr. Yau Yan is a 'yogi-like mystic,' and that it is ridiculous to claim that he is in power; ”

Rather than being surprised, Professor Fisher asked, "What else?" ”

"Charles Wilson (Secretary of Defense) asserted that the situation in Vietnam was hopeless and that the United States should not be involved;

He submitted a military intelligence that the Vietnamese army was demoralized, the military and political chaos in Saigon, and the factional strife was endless. Under such circumstances, no one could have established a strong and stable government, believing that sooner or later the Vietminh would take control of the whole of Vietnam.

"And then?"

The senator smiled and said cheerfully: "Mr. Secretary of State does not refute these views, but says that Soviet Russia believes that they represent the future direction of the world, and they fanatically promote this idea." In South-East Asia, we have to find on our side a leader who must recognize our free way of life, who recognizes that our way of life is the future trend, and who is as strong as the Viet Minh leader. ”

The Bishop was overjoyed and couldn't help laughing, "There is no doubt that they could not find a more suitable candidate than Mr. Yan. ”

"So Mr. President finally qualified to adopt our suggestion, arguing that resistance to the expansion of the Russian bloc must rely on native nationalist leaders, because the nationalist movement in Indochina is on the rise and European colonialism is in decline. He believes that all anti-Vietminh forces in Viet Nam should be urged to cooperate fully with Mr. Yen in order to vigorously confront the Vietminh and build a strong and free Vietnam. ”

"Conditional?"

"Exactly the conditions of the French, who know very well what it means for France for Mr. Yan to return to Saigon to lead the new government. Under the good offices of Mr. Secretary of State, they verbally agreed to support Mr. Yan, but this support was experimental in nature, and if Mr. Yan did not work within a 'reasonable time', then another replacement would be chosen. ”

Clearly, some of the real power at the State Department, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill probably share the same view. Anyway, it's good to have this result.

The House of Representatives of the National Assembly is full of masters who don't see rabbits and don't scatter eagles, and if Ngo Dinh Diem wants to really gain support, he has to rely on himself to do something.

It was already 8 a.m. the next morning when he received the news, and Senator Mansfield euphemistically relayed Eisenhower's message in a telegram, in which he promised aid on the one hand, and said that the United States would depend on Ngo Dinh Diem's willingness to carry out reforms and win the hearts and minds of the people.

Wu Tingyan was a little lost, and was silent for a while with the telegram before pretending to smile lightly: "It's better than nothing, for the people, I think we should go back." ”

"Great, this is the day I've been waiting for!"

History has not changed because of his heavy work, Li Weimin has never been so happy as at this moment, holding his hand tightly and proposing: "Mr. Yan, you have to go to see the Führer, maybe he still has a lot of things to discuss, you will definitely not be able to leave in the next few days." Either I'll go first, go back and get ready. ”

Although the United States has expressed its support, its attitude is not clear, let alone resolute.

At this time, it is really necessary to have someone who is familiar with both Vietnam and the United States to return to Saigon to deal with American diplomats first. After all, the attitude of the county officials is very important whether they can really get support and whether they can get all the assistance they need to stabilize the situation.

Saigon is so chaotic, a man who likes to do business and make a lot of money, not only helps again and again, but is even willing to go back and run for him.

Ngo Dinh Diem was obviously moved, patted his hands, and said with a sincere face: "For the people, no matter what others think, in my mind you are a Vietnamese." ”

Vietnamese people can do business and be friends with overseas Chinese, but they rarely treat overseas Chinese as their own, how could Li Weimin not hear the meaning of his words, and couldn't help but make a grimace: "Mr. Yan, then when you go back, you will ask someone to change my passport." ”

Wealthy overseas Chinese bribed French people to apply for French passports; Ordinary overseas Chinese go to the relationship of Taiwanese officials in Saigon to apply for a Republic of China passport; Overseas Chinese who have no money would rather be black households than apply for Vietnamese passports.

Li Weimin seems to be joking, but in fact he is expressing his determination to share weal and woe with him and advance and retreat together.

Wu Tingyan was very moved, and said tacitly in a choked voice: "As long as you want, as long as your father has no opinion." ”

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