Seeing that Chen Zikun's gaze had stopped on military spending for a long time, Yan Su felt a chill in his heart and asked, "Chairman, don't you want to dismiss the troops and save expenses?" ”

Chen Zikun said: "The smoke is everywhere, it coincides with the troubled times, and it is not easy to have a few soldiers in hand, so I am willing to dismiss, but the Jiangdong area is too small, the land is barren, and the industry and commerce are underdeveloped, so I really can't afford to raise so many soldiers.

Yan Suxi said, "Chairman, you have finally figured it out. ”

Chen Zikun said: "Xiao'an, it's not that I figured it out, it's the situation that forces people to go, I don't have the ability to unify the whole country, it's not my wish to compete in the world, but let the brothers have a good home, it is also my long-cherished wish, the future of the world, must be the world of Chiang Kai-shek and the Whampoa department, Lao Gai and Lao Chen are both from the wild road, if you don't get closer to the central government as soon as possible, and fight for a military background, sooner or later will be treated as a miscellaneous card." ”

Yan Su said, "So, where should the brothers develop? ”

Chen Zikun said: "There are many famous halls here, the seats in each province are targeted, the neighboring provinces are no play, the northwest provinces are too poor, and there is nothing interesting, looking at the whole country, only Guangdong is a treasure land, the Cantonese people rely on themselves as revolutionary pioneers, do not put Jiang Zhongzheng in their eyes, the central government and Guangdong, sooner or later a war, we are ready to fight, and then get a few provincial chairmen to do it." ”

As he spoke, he patted Yan Su on the shoulder: "Brother Xiao'an, you are also ready to prepare, wait to take my seat." ”

Yan Su said: "Kunwu, you won't want to collect the mountain so early, right?" ”

Chen Zikun said: "I would like to take the mountain and retire, but I am not in front of me, and the life of the brothers will not be easy, so I plan to accept Chairman Chiang's appointment and go to Nanjing to become a member of the Nationalist Government and vice minister of the military." ”

Yan Su and Chen Zikun have been partners for many years, and it is natural for him to take over as provincial chairman, but how to fill the vacancy left by him after stepping down as chief of staff is a big problem.

"Xiao'an, in your opinion, who is more suitable to preside over the army?" Chan would love to hear his opinion.

Yan Su seemed to have already considered this matter, and said eloquently: "The Jiangdong Army is divided into three parts, Gai Longquan and Chen Shou are both old brothers from Jiangbei, and the other is the military cadets we trained ourselves and the armed forces that were incorporated in the later period, in terms of qualifications, Lao Gai and Lao Chen are on par, and it is not good for anyone to go up, Zeng Jiao's police department is enough for him to manage, and it can't be arranged, in my opinion, foreign monks are good at chanting, it is better to find someone who can be accepted by everyone and Jiang Zhongzheng can also be recognized as the chief of staff." ”

Chen Zikun immediately guessed the candidate: "You said Chen Qilin? He's too young. ”

Yan Su said with a smile: "If he is very deep in the city and his methods are old and spicy, I don't dare to recommend it, it is precisely because he is young and not qualified enough, the army is still in your hands, and he is a first-term student of Huangpu, a student of Chairman Jiang, and an authentic Central Army. ”

Chen Zikun said: "Just do as you say, I will go to Nanjing next month to take up my post." ”

Yan'er ran over, raised her little face and asked, "Dad, are you going to Nanjing?" When will you come back? ”

Chen Zikun said: "Baby, let's go together, and we will live in Nanjing in the future." ”

Yan'er shook her head: "Don't go, Mommy said, Nanjing is hot in summer and uncomfortable." ”

Chen Zikun smiled: "We can come back during the summer vacation." ”

……

In the autumn of 1930, Chen Zikun stepped down as chairman of Jiangdong Province and went to Nanjing to take up the post of deputy minister of the military department of the Nationalist Government.

Chiang Kai-shek, in order to win this position for Zhang Xueliang, has already torn his face with Hu Hanmin, and even did not hesitate to threaten to resign.

On the recommendation of Chen Zikun, Yan Xiaoan took up the post of chairman of the Jiangdong Provincial Government, and Chen Qilin was promoted to major general of the army and appointed as chief of staff of the Jiangdong Provincial Security Command.

Although Gai Longquan, Chen Shou, Zeng Jiao and others have not changed their positions, their strength has increased greatly, and they are all generals who lead tens of thousands of soldiers.

The military minister of the Nanjing government was a fictitious post, and no one's troops could be transferred, and the only advantage was that he was promoted to a knight, and he went from the local government to the central government, and became a senior member of the Central Committee, and Chen Zikun's military rank was also officially explained, and he was transferred from an army general in Beiyang to a first-class general in the National Revolutionary Army.

The military uniforms of the national army have also changed, from gray large-brimmed hats and tunics to German-style mountain hats and dark green tweed uniforms, the military ranks are collars, and the generals are gold plates decorated with triangular star emblems, with armed belts and swords, of course, only senior officers and the Central Army are eligible to change their uniforms, and the miscellaneous troops are still old-fashioned, but the cap badge ranks have been changed.

The military department has no specific work, and the alternate members of the Supervision Commission are even more idle, but Chen Zikun is so happy, he devotes his main energy to the construction of Beitai, Gong Zijun has a weak personality, and is not qualified for the post of county magistrate, so Chen Zikun transferred him to the provincial government to be the director of the financial committee, and invited a county magistrate of the same age as himself from the north.

The new county magistrate's name is He Qigong, a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province, who was originally Feng Yuxiang's secretary and was later recommended as the mayor of Beiping.

He Qigong served in Beiping City for a long time, that is, he said that he was sick at home, Chen Zikun heard his name for a long time, and sent someone to invite him to Nanjing with his own handwritten letter to get together and put forward his own request, He Qigong was only 30 years old, was born in a soldier, and was quick to speak, and asked Chen Zikun to fully delegate power, so that he was willing to be the county magistrate.

"Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious, I ask you to be the county magistrate, naturally I have to rely on Mr.'s ability, and I definitely don't invite a mud bodhisattva to decorate the façade." Chan said.

The two are like-minded, talk very happily, how Gong talked about his own experience, and Chen Zikun has the same thing, he was poor when he was a child, received the help of nobles, entered Beijing at the age of eighteen, and threw a pen from Rong into Feng Yuxiang's army as a clerk, and then went to the Soviet Union twice to investigate, and saw a lot, and was the first of the top ten civilian officials in the Northwest Military Department.

Chen Zikun sighed: "When Brother Ke entered Beijing alone, the younger brother also went to Beijing from outside the border, worked as a foreign coachman, picked up dung, and later joined Wu Yushuai's army as a soldier, our brothers' situation is so the same, but we have not met in Beijing, it is a pity." ”

He Qigong said: "It's not too late to meet now." ”

The two looked up to the sky and laughed.

That night, Chen Zikun put wine to entertain He Qigong, the wine was a thousand cups of confidant, drunk heartily, still not drunk, He Qigong drank all over the body fever, asked Chen Zikun for a sword, took off his shirt, sang and danced in the courtyard, and actually made a superb Taiyi Xuanmen swordsmanship.

Chen Zikun said curiously: "Brother Ke, where did you learn your swordsmanship?" ”

He Qigong said: "When I was young, I was helped by nobles, taught me to read and write, taught me to practice martial arts, and swordsmanship was practiced at that time." ”

Chen Zikun's heart moved: "Do you remember the name of the nobleman?" ”

He Qigong said: "I'm ashamed to say that the noble man sponsored many young children, and I gave up halfway because of my poor qualifications, but the benefactor's honorable name is still in my heart, and he is Tao Chengzhang of the Restoration Society." ”

Chen Zikun smiled without saying a word, took out a jade plaque from his neck, and engraved the word "Kunwu" on it.

He Qigong's pupils contracted slightly, and he also pulled out a jade plaque of the same style from the collar, engraved with the word "Kezhi".

It turned out that He Qigong was also one of the seeds cultivated by the Restoration Society that year.

The two met again and have been known as brothers ever since.

……

It is said that a Jiangyang thief came here and committed more than 10 crimes, specifically ruining the innocent woman in the courtyard of the deep house, and the police department has used all its strength to eat milk, but it can't solve the case, and people are panicked for a while, and rumors are everywhere.

Fenglin Road Mansion, Yao Yilei and Jian Bing also heard people talk about this matter, and they said that they had noses and eyes, saying that the flower thief had practiced light skills, and the two-zhang high wall went up with two rubs, and he could step on the lotus leaves in the pond and fly across the water.

Yao Yilei scoffed at these rumors: "It's just a little thief, there is such a big movement, I really don't know how Zeng Jiao became the chief of the police department." ”

Jian Bing said: "I heard that this person specializes in stealing from high-ranking families, he does have some guts, the master is not at home, if he steals here, how can it be good?" ”

Yao Yilei sneered: "My tiger head shotgun hasn't been opened for a long time, he doesn't come, he just comes, he doesn't come back." ”

Having said that, Yao Yilei still called Zeng Jiao and asked him to send a team of patrol police to strengthen the guards on Fenglin Road, and asked the guards of the official residence to add double posts at night, the bullets were loaded, and the power grid was energized.

For a few days, the Jiangyang thieves did not continue to commit crimes, and the tense nerves of the common people relaxed again, and the streets gradually had the taste of some New Year's goods, and the stalls buying New Year's goods were everywhere, every household was busy preparing New Year's goods, businessmen were busy collecting accounts, and travelers who were running around were also busy rushing home.

This afternoon, Yan'er was clamoring to go to the street to play, Yao Yilei and Jianbing were playing two games of mahjong at home, accompanying Yan Su, Zeng Jiao, Chen Qilin, Gai Longquan, and Chen Shou's wives to play cards.

The car in the house sent them to the vicinity of the provincial city street, Aunt Wang walked in front with Yan'er, the maid and the guards followed behind, the street was full of dazzling gadgets and snacks, Yan'er was dizzy, she was very happy to see this and that.

was eating sugar gourd, suddenly saw someone playing tricks, Yan'er made a fuss to see, Aunt Wang hugged her over, squeezed open a crack, saw a knife and gun sword halberd meteor hammer in the circle, a tiger-headed boy was turning his head, the heel turned over a beautiful, like a hot wheels dazzling, with the sound of the gong turned eighteen in a row, not panting and not red, standing still and hugging his fist: "Old and young masters, we have just arrived in Guibaodi, we don't understand the rules, what is wrong, please also ask the uncles and uncles Haihan." ”

The voice was crisp and childish, and there was a cheer all around, and it was a tall woman who struck the gong, dressed up with arrow sleeves, and silver threads hidden in her temples, looking at the boy with a smile.