Guangzhou, the Great Presidential Palace.

When the news came that the Eastern Route Army of the Revolutionary Army was defeated by the Fujian Army, Sun Yat-sen's already anxious mood suddenly became extremely heavy.

Hu Hanmin, Chen Jiongming, Liao Zhongkai, Wang Jingwei, and others were still arguing fiercely, all of them red-faced and emotional, and more than a dozen other party elites attending the meeting from time to time echoed or opposed the views of a certain party, and the entire venue was bustling and chaotic.

The two sides of the controversy were in a state of anger, and the whole meeting showed signs of getting out of control, but the content of the controversy had nothing to do with the rout of the Eastern Route Army, the most crucial revolutionary army, and the focus was that Tan Yanhong, a veteran of the League and a Hunan overseer who had just been dismissed by Yanjing Zhengaxe, refused to attend the special meeting of the Guangzhou Central Committee chaired by Sun Yat-sen, left Changsha, Hunan, where the struggle was fierce and the situation was complicated, and led a huge delegation to "pay a return visit to Sichuan" despite the dissuasion of Cheng Qian, commander-in-chief of the Hunan Protector Revolutionary Army.

The British's "Zilinxi Bao" and the "Far East News," which has become the mouthpiece of the French political axe in China, both published comments in prominent positions on the front page, exclaiming that the main revolutionary forces in China's southern camp are facing a crisis of re-selection, that China's political forces are moving toward an extremely complicated split and alliance, and that China's political map is likely to change because of Tan Yanmin's visit to Sichuan.

With the news of Tan Yanmin's visit to Sichuan, the three major forces in Hunan, which were strengthening preparations for war and preparing for mutual conquest, immediately died down, whether it was Fu Liangzuo and Zhao Hengti on behalf of the Beiyang political axe, or Cheng Qianbu on behalf of the southern political axe, they all seemed panicked in the face of this sudden news.

Mixed between the two major forces, the Chen Eun Department is rapidly shrinking and holding Yueyang, and Tan Yanmin, who is deeply afraid of being ousted by the northern political axe, has attracted a powerful Sichuan army, if the Sichuan army really intervenes in the situation in Hunan, the first to be destroyed is probably the Chen Eun Department.

The chaotic argument continued, and no one could convince anyone, and the exhausted Sun Yat-sen was just about to exercise his power and order the halt of this useless meeting, when the secretary general, Ma Junwu, had quietly walked behind him and whispered in his ear: "Kai-shek and Zicheng are back." ”

Sun Yat-sen's spirits perked up, he grabbed the gavel on the table and knocked it three times, and the venue immediately quieted down, and the two sides of the red-faced argument slowly sat down.

Sun Yat-sen did not immediately adjourn the meeting, but summed up the heated controversy just now:

Although the situation in Hunan has a tendency to become complicated, the original order is still maintained, there are no military conflicts and political disputes, our revolutionary forces still control most of southern and eastern Hunan, and the enemy not only did not attack because of the sudden change in the political situation in Hunan, but successively shrank the defensive line and left the conflict area, so we have no need to worry about the situation in Hunan getting out of control, let alone be pessimistic and disappointed. Until there is no perfect plan, we still need to closely monitor the development of the situation in Hunan. ”

Regardless of whether everyone was convinced or not, they did not raise any objections after listening to Sun Yat-sen's words, but Sun Yat-sen's composure made many people calm down.

Sun Yat-sen continued: "What is urgently needed to be solved at present is our internal problems, especially the question of leadership and mutual coordination among the various departments of the revolutionary army. So far, Liu Zhenhuan of the Gui Army, Shengtao Department of the Yunnan Army, as well as the two brigades of the Hunan Army and the Jiangxi Army, which are attached to our central political axe, have not well obeyed the dispatch of the central government, and not only have they not actively gone north to help in the war, but have entrenched themselves in the major cities of Guangdong and forcibly levied taxes from all walks of life in Guangdong in the name of the Protector War, and the huge amount of taxes obtained has not been handed over to the political axe, so that our Western Route Army has been unable to open the situation in the Guangdong-Jiangxi battlefield for a long time, and the Eastern Route Army has not been able to get strong support in the Guangdong-Fujian battlefield, which has led to the failure of the Northern Expedition to protect the law. This is much more important than Tan Yanmin leading a delegation to visit Sichuan! Now that I have adjourned the meeting, you will go back and think carefully about how to solve the problem of unity within us. ”

Under the gaze of guilt and frustration, Sun Yat-sen slowly stood up and left the venue, leaving the participants with a tired figure.

In the study, Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian, who had been waiting for a long time, stood up when they heard the footsteps, Sun Yat-sen waved his hand slightly when he entered the door, and after sitting down, he looked up and carefully looked at the two beloved generals who had returned from the feathers, and only after a long time did he sigh helplessly:

"The responsibility for the defeat is not you, in the Fifth Brigade of the Guangdong Army, if the Fifth Brigade had not taken the lead in retreating, the entire battlefield would not have been eroded in an instant, you were still able to fight tenaciously under the encirclement of the enemy's two divisions, and in the end, although defeated, you succeeded in breaking out of the encirclement and bringing nearly half of the revolutionary army back to northern Guangdong safely, which is already a great achievement!"

"Sir......" Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian were moved.

Chiang Kai-shek, who was getting thinner and thinner, said angrily: "The Cantonese army is too shameless, they are not unable to defeat the enemy on the opposite side, the reason why they retreated, I think it is a complete conspiracy, they are killing people with a knife, they want to use the enemy's strength to destroy our revolutionary army that threatens the entire Guangdong army, they are afraid of our army's political propaganda, afraid that we will wake up the people of Guangdong, afraid that we will occupy Guangzhou and control Guangzhou, so they set this huge trap on the battlefield of the Eastern Front."

"Sir, because of the quiet retreat of the Fifth Brigade of the Guangdong Army, the three brigades of the Fujian Army surrounded our army, resulting in the sacrifice of more than 2,000 outstanding officers and soldiers, and the remaining more than 3,000 people were all wounded, more than 2,000 people! How many revolutionary forces can withstand such senseless attrition? ”

Liu Bingxian said with red eyes: "Sir, this is a shame that Bingxian has never had since he joined the army, we were not defeated by an enemy twice as large as ourselves, but by our own people!" This revenge must be avenged, otherwise I will be sorry for the two thousand heroic souls who died......"

Sun Yat-sen raised his hand painfully to stop the two from talking:

"Kai-shek, Zicheng, don't say it anymore, it's my fault that such a problem arises, it's my fault that I didn't lead well, it's that I didn't educate the army in my hometown, and it's my influence and prestige that are not enough to convince the generals of the Cantonese army, which is the fundamental reason for the failure of the Eastern Front battlefield!

"Sit down...... Sit down, rest for a few days, then bring the remaining brothers back from northern Guangdong, continue to garrison Guangzhou, and then vigorously expand the army, train with all your might, and I will solve the problem of money, this time I will no longer look at other people's faces, I can finally see clearly, only by controlling Guangzhou well and creating a strong deterrent to all the armies with different aspirations can we maintain the overall situation of our revolution and our central power. ”

Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian glanced at each other, and after moving a chair and sitting down, they still couldn't hold back the shock in their hearts, this was the first time they had heard their teacher Sun Yat-sen make such a pessimistic and firm statement.

Sun Yat-sen drank half a cup of tea, put down the cup, puffed up his chest, and once again showed a kind and resolute look in his eyes: "Do you know the news of Hunan Tan Zu'an's visit to Sichuan?" ”

Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian were taken aback: "When did it happen?" ”

"The day before yesterday, Tan Zu'an left Changsha the day before yesterday, and he was accompanied by a military and political delegation of more than 50 people, who took a passenger ferry and entered the Yangtze River through Xiangshui and headed for Sichuan." Sun Yat-sen replied worriedly.

Liu Bingxian was anxious: "In this way, Tan Zu'an has already reached a consensus with Xiao Yimin and Zhang Lan in Sichuan?" ”

Sun Yat-sen shook his head: "I can't say that now, the newspaper in Hunan that supports Tan Zu'an said that this is just a return visit that has been set a long time ago, and the purpose is to discuss the possibility of cooperation between Sichuan and Hunan provinces in the development of industry, commerce and people's livelihood, but General Cheng Songyun sent a telegram from Yueyang to the central government last night, saying that the two garrison brigades loyal to Tan Zu'an and the two hundred young soldiers and young students selected from all over Hunan had entered Sichuan in batches a week ago to study at the Sichuan Army Military Academy. I am afraid that Tan Zu'an has already made an agreement with Zhang Lan and Xiao Yimin in private, and the Sichuan army has occupied Yichang, and Wang Lingji, the deputy marshal of the Sichuan army, is directing the first army of the Sichuan army to press towards western Hubei step by step in the name of assisting in the formation of the Yichang garrison and the political axe police force at all levels...... Alas! If the Sichuan army is allowed to enter Hunan, it will be troublesome! ”

Ma Junwu strode in and reported: "Sir, Wang Zhaoming asks to see you." ”

"Invite him in, I was just trying to hear his opinion." Sun Yat-sen gladly ordered.

After a while, Wang Jingwei, who was wearing a white silk and linen shirt and a dark blue dark flower tie, walked inside, said hello to Sun Yat-sen, moved a chair to sit beside Chiang Kai-shek, nodded to Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian with a smile, and then turned to Sun Yat-sen and reported in a low voice:

"Sir, the latest news from Shanghai, in the name of protecting the normal production of Daye Iron Mine, Sichuan Xiao Yimin sent a regiment of Sichuan troops to occupy the main mining area and wharf of Daye Iron Mine, and Major General Wan Lianfeng, director of the Political Division of the Sichuan Army General Headquarters, is holding negotiations with all parties to the strike."

Sun Yat-sen Huo Ran stood up: "How can this work?" How can it be messed up like this? ”

Wang Jingwei stood up, walked around the table, and respectfully helped Sun Yat-sen to sit down:

"Please don't worry, sir, this side has publicly issued a statement of protest, but for the time being, warships and marines have not been sent to Daye, it is estimated that Duan Qirui and others in Yanjing did not expect Xiao Yimin to come to this hand, and Han Yeping's situation is becoming more and more complicated. Please don't worry too much, sir, and we'll discuss the countermeasures slowly. ”

Sun Yat-sen sat down in distraction, looked at Chiang Kai-shek and Liu Bingxian, who were also shocked, turned to Wang Jingwei, who looked calm, and asked, "What does Zhaoming think about this?" ”

Wang Jingwei sighed: "The student's opinion is that Xiao Yimin is going out of Sichuan. ”

"How is this possible? Brother Zhaoming, although Sichuan has obtained many years of development opportunities, but has not interfered in the province's foreign political situation has been a move for a long time, Xiao Yimin and Zhang Lan have more than once stated Sichuan's strategic proposition, their energy is almost all focused on the development of Sichuan industry and commerce and the support of agriculture, transportation, and water conservancy construction, and the Kang-Tibet region has become the focus of disputes and confrontation between Britain and Sichuan, in order to implement the Xikang million immigration plan, Xiao Yimin almost invested all his income and his net worth and property, How could it get involved in the national political situation at this time? The biggest possibility is probably for the benefit of Yichang, right? Liu Bingxian put forward his own views.

Wang Jingwei smiled and nodded, did not comment, but asked Chiang Kai-shek beside him: "Brother Zicheng's opinion is also reasonable, Brother Kai-shek, what do you think?" ”

Liu Bingxian looked at Chiang Kai-shek nervously, and Sun Yat-sen also cast a concerned gaze on Chiang Kai-shek's face, and Chiang Kai-shek groaned slightly and said something that moved everyone.

(To be continued)