Hearing Yan Xishan say that Zhao Daiwen, Xu Yongchang and Yang Aiyuan did not support him against Jiang, everyone did not dare to say much for a while.

These three were opposed to the use of force against Chiang Kai-shek, and it was clear to all. But they all know that Zhao Daiwen and Yang Aiyuan are not only Wutai people, but also Yan Xishan's most powerful civil and military "arm", Zhao Daiwen and Yan Xishan have a deep relationship, so there is no need to say more. Yang Aiyuan graduated from the first phase of the Baoding Army Military Academy, and was the first graduate of the Baoding Military Academy to join the Jinsui Army at the invitation of Yan Xishan, and made great contributions to the development and growth of the Jinsui Army.

Yang Aiyuan was known for his loyalty, prudence and talent in the Jin Sui army, so he was trusted and reused by Yan Xishan at the same time, he was also quite popular. Although almost all of the people in the Jin Sui army were his juniors, except for a few people such as Shang Zhen and Xu Yongchang and Zhou Jue, he got along very well with all the generals, not only with Fu Zuoyi and Zhang Yinwu, two people who were incompatible with water and fire, but also with Shang Zhen, who was not on good terms with Yan Xishan.

At the beginning of 1916, Yan Xishan organized the Shang Zhen Department into a regiment, and Yang Aiyuan's battalion was incorporated into the Shang Group, which was obviously to enrich but actually contain. In this way, Yang Aiyuan once became Shang Zhen's subordinate. Yang Aiyuan has been promoted synchronously with Shang Zhen since then, and Shang Zhen is not only taboo, but also known to him. So much so that in the handwritten letter to Yan Xishan after Shang Zhen left the Jin Dynasty, he still said with a lot of emotion: "The stars are like shocks, the friendship is deep, and it is consistent. ”

Xu Yongchang is not to mention, if Yan Xishan is interested in Zhao Daiwen and Yang Aiyuan for their loyalty and talent, then he is grateful to Xu Yongchang.

As early as 1925, when Sun Yue was also the commander of the Third Army, Xu Yongchang not only did not cooperate with Fan Zhongxiu, who was also a member of the National Army, to attack Shanxi, but also sent a message to Yan Xishan through Zhou Jue, so that Yan Xishan had already prepared and drove Fan Zhongxiu out of Shanxi in one fell swoop.

In the spring of 1926, the Nationalist Army was defeated in Tianjin, the Second Army was scattered in western Henan, the First Army withdrew to Wuyuan, Feng Yuxiang left the Soviet Union, and Xu Yongchang led the Third Army to retreat to Baotou. In April and May, the First Army of the Nationalist Army, which had no way out, prepared to attack Shanxi from Yanbei under the pretext of entering Sui by the road. At this time, Xu Yongchang once again made it clear that he was "unwilling to fight with Shanxi", and then, the First National Army attacked Jin on six routes, and the Jin Sui Army responded with all its might. Because Xu Yongchang's Second Army did not cooperate, in August, the Nationalist Army did not support and withdrew from the Jin Territory; The Jin Sui army pursued the victory and hit Guisui in one go. Because of his detached approach to the issue of fighting against Jin, Yan Xishan was extremely grateful to Xu Yongchang.

Feng Yuxiang called for the support of Soviet Russia to reorganize the Northwest Army. And Xu Yongchang has his own sober understanding of this: "Russia supports us, although it is sincere, but his intentions are not good. In the thirteenth year of the Republic of China, I felt that the contract between Russia and Mr. Sun Yat-sen did not have good intentions. If he wants to have good intentions towards China, why doesn't he return the China Eastern Railway agreed with Cao Zhengax to China as promised? Our civil strife is like a wall between brothers, and a third person gives a knife, whether it is handed over to a brother or a brother, it is always against us. He emphasized helping the weak and small nations, but he did not know that he also helped a part of the people of a certain country to break away from their own country and read their strength, and then immediately incorporated them into Russia. ”

Xu Yongchang, who was very disgusted with Feng Yuxiang's approach, decided to "separate his future actions from Feng Yuxiang's National First Army" after consulting Sun Yue, who was ill. At this time, Xu Yongchang's old friend Sun Chutuo from Xinhai sent a letter describing the friendship. Of course, Xu Yongchang understood Sun Chu's meaning, so he replied to a letter and proposed: "I plan to reclaim land in Wuyuan, but I don't know if Mr. Yan can help." ”

Xu Yongchang's temptation was soon echoed, and Sun Chu went to Sui for the second time to convey Yan Xishan's reply: "I heard that Cichen is going to settle in Wuyuan, and I think it is an honor to be friends with people with personality. Cichen wants to reclaim in Wuyuan, and I not only sympathize but also do my best to support it. ”

For Yan Xishan's support, Xu Yongchang was deeply moved and greatly encouraged. In the winter of 1926, on the basis of further contact with the Jin Suijun generals Shang Zhen, Yang Aiyuan, Zhu Shouguang, etc., Xu Yongchang set off for Taiyuan. In Taiyuan, Xu Yongchang lived for three months, during which he met with Yan Xishan many times, surrendered to each other, and got along very well. Yan Xishan had a good impression of Xu Yongchang and said that "I hate to see each other too late".

In March 1927, according to the prior agreement, Xu Yongchang's two infantry divisions, one cavalry division, one artillery regiment and one reading artillery regiment of the Third Army moved south along the west bank of the Yellow River and crossed the river from Linxian to Jin. At that time, Yan Xishan's Jin Sui army was only tens of thousands of people, and due to the addition of Xu Yongchang's three armies of the National Army, the strength of the Jin Sui army increased greatly.

During the Second Northern Expedition, the Jin Sui army was defeated by the Feng army's concentrated main force, although Xu Yongchang was a guest army at that time, but he did not avoid suspicion, and handled it properly, so that the Jin Sui army retreated safely to Shanxi except for Fu Zuoyi's first section who was trapped in Zhuozhou.

In this era of "having a gun is the king of grass", how many people pursue the supremacy of force and support the army for self-respect. Xu Yongchang did the opposite, and after taking the initiative to give up his reading status and lead his troops to belong to Yan Xishan's Jin family, he called for "military and civilian separation" to release his military power. In October 28, he was appointed chairman of the Suiyuan Provincial Political Axe. That is, he took the initiative to reorganize the Third Army under his headquarters on the basis that the chairman was a civilian officer, and all the division and brigade commanders were replaced by Yan Xinxin's people, and asked the deputy army commander Huang Luchu to send the book to Yan Xishan for acceptance.

Yan Xishan said: "Sui Province is not quiet, so it is easier to bring soldiers to do it. Yongchang said: "If you can't do anything without bringing soldiers, then you can't do well with soldiers." The chairman is a civilian officer, and the military and civilian rule are separated, so please start with me. ”

The reason why the Jin Sui Army was able to rise in strength before the Second Northern Expedition and became the decisive force that influenced the course of the Northern Expedition had a lot to do with Xu Yongchang's selfless desire to lead the three national armies into the Jin Sui Army. Yan Xishan can be said to be inexplicably grateful to Xu Yongchang.

Yan Xishan said that these three people were all against him and against Chiang, and all the generals in the inner and northern halls were silent for a while. It's not that they agree with the above three people's opinions, the key is that they can't refute these three people, as long as the words against these three people are too fierce, Yan Xishan will not only blame, but may even turn his face on the spot. Although these three people dared to accuse him of his mistake of opposing Jiang in front of Yan Xishan, Yan Xishan knew that these three people were all thinking about him, and as long as he Yan Xishan insisted on going his own way, these people would still follow him to the soup. The reason why Yan Xishan was a little lonely was not because he was angry with these three people, but just a little sentimental.

After being silent for a while, Zhou Ying couldn't help it, and said thoughtfully: "Commander-in-chief, I think of one thing, I don't know if to say it?" ”

Yan Xishan also felt that he was a little emotional, and he couldn't hit the confidence of these generals who supported him against Chiang at this time. nodded and said: "Ziliang, you are the only student of Meng in the Jin Sui Army, there is anything that cannot be said between teachers and students, even if you say something wrong, Meng will not blame you." ”

Zhou Ying took a step forward and said: "The students remember that after the completion of the Northern Expedition in the 17th year of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek convened a meeting of the commanders-in-chief of the group armies in Xiaotangshan, Beiping, and invited the main responsible persons of the group armies to hold a reorganization meeting with him in Nanjing. After the meeting, Feng Yuxiang first returned to Henan and then transferred to Nanjing, and soon Chiang Kai-shek also returned to Nanjing. The commander-in-chief sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek on the way to Nanjing, saying that because his father was suffering from a sudden illness, he would go to Nanjing when his father's illness was a little better. It was postponed until mid-December, when he went to Nanjing to take up his post as a member of the National Political Axe Committee and to attend the Dispatch Conference, where the students accompanied the commander-in-chief to Nanjing in the capacity of general counselor. When the students asked the reason for the delay in moving away, the commander-in-chief said: 'If I go to Nanjing to hold a meeting of the Dispatch and Dispatch Committee, if I follow Feng and Li Delin, I will complain against Jiang Zhongzheng, and the meeting will not be held, but I have offended Jiang Zhongzheng; If you follow Jiang Zhongzheng's words, you will blame Feng Yuxiang and Li Delin. Not even both sides. It would be nice if I went back when they were divided, when both sides needed me. ’”

The students were still a little unconvinced at the time, but when they arrived in Nanjing, the situation was really like this, so since then, the students have always believed that what the commander-in-chief thinks and does is right. Moreover, since then, under the leadership of the commander-in-chief, our Shanxi and our Jinsui army have never suffered losses. ”

Zhou Ying dared to be the first to speak at this time, naturally he was not an ordinary general, and he also had a deep relationship with Yan Xishan.

Yan Xishan returned from studying abroad in Shanxi to serve as an instructor in Shanxi Lu Elementary School, Zhou Ying was his student, and it was Yan Xishan who introduced Zhou Ying to join the alliance. After the success of the Shanxi Uprising, when the Shanxi Provincial Consultative Bureau elected the governor, it was Zhou Ying and Zhang Shuzhi who worked closely together, and at the critical moment when the speaker Liang Shanji announced the "vote" for the governor, Zhang Shuzhi loudly called for 'everyone should elect Yan Xishan as the governor, raise their hands in favor!' Zhou Ying shouted in response: "Elect Yan Xishan as the governor of the capital, everyone raise their hands together!" It was the two who echoed each other with an overwhelming instigation, and together they pushed Yan Xishan to the throne of the governor of Shanxi.

Yan Xishan is a person who holds grudges and repays his gratitude, of course, he will not forget Zhou Jue's meritorious service, so Zhou Jue has also risen like a rocket in the Jin Sui Army over the years.

Zhou Ying dared to say these words at this time, emphasizing that what Yan Xishan had done had always been right, and the purpose was to make Yan Xishan strengthen his confidence in opposing Chiang.

Yan Xishan was noncommittal to Zhou Yu's words, looked at everyone and asked, "You all support Meng and rebel against Chiang?" ”

In the Jin Sui Army, only Jia Jingde was the only one who resolutely supported Yan Xishan's opposition to Chiang, but these army commanders all supported Yan Xishan and Chiang Kai-shek's armed confrontation.

After all the generals expressed their support in unison, Yan Xishan, who had greatly increased his confidence, patted the arm of his chair and said loudly: "Okay! With your support for Mongolia, Mongolia will definitely oppose Chiang......"

(To be continued)