"Han Qing, I also don't agree to start negotiations now, start negotiations now, the Soviets are bound to think that we are timid, in the negotiations they will definitely open their mouths, ask for a lot of money and have a tough attitude, in the end if you want to settle the dispute, you must hand over the 'Middle East Road' to the Soviets again. In this way, Han Qing, you will really have to bear the scolding of the domestic people. ”

Zhang Xueliang said angrily: "If we can save the fathers and elders of the Northeast from the suffering of war, I Zhang Xueliang is willing to bear this infamy." ”

Song Zhewu shook his head and said: "If it's just the 'Middle East Road', I'm afraid that the Soviets will ask for something extra, and even I and the Western powers will think that we are strong in the outside world, which will fuel their ambitions, and they will never take us in their eyes again. ”

Zhang Xueliang thought carefully for a while and nodded in agreement with Song Zhewu's opinion.

Zhang Xueliang sighed and said helplessly: "Wen Ge, you are right, but do we know that we will be defeated?" If defeated, wouldn't it be necessary to sign even more unacceptable terms with the Soviets, and if so, it would be better to talk earlier than later, and the Soviets would ask for a lower price if they talked early. ”

"Talks must be discussed, but they cannot be discussed now, and if we want to negotiate, we must wait for us to win one or two big victories before negotiating with the Soviets, so that we will seize the initiative and will not suffer losses in the negotiations."

Song Zhewu's words made Zhang Xueliang feel very surprised, Zhang Xueliang didn't believe his ears, and asked suspiciously: "Wenge, I heard it right, you mean that we will win this war with the Soviets?" ”

Song Zhewu shook his head and said: "We will not be able to win this border war with the Soviets. ”

Song Zhewu's words made Zhang Xueliang very puzzled, "Then ......what do you mean?"

Song Zhewu did not answer Zhang Xueliang's question immediately, but said to himself: "Actually, Han Qing, you chose to take back the 'Middle East Road' by force at this time, this is indeed a good time, now the Soviets have just experienced a civil war not long ago, their national strength is still very empty, and they are busy with domestic construction." If it is said that a big country like the Soviet Union will only become stronger and stronger, it will be even more difficult for us to take back the 'Middle East Road' at that time. ”

Zhang Xueliang still said in disbelief: "However, the current Soviet army is not something that we can easily defeat. Wen Ge, don't be angry, to say something unpleasant, if there is no for your Fourth Route Army, the Northeast Army will definitely be defeated, and it will be defeated ugly; With your Fourth Route Army here, I don't think the Soviet army can gnaw at you on the Western Front, but their main battlefield is on the Eastern Front, where not only are there more than 40,000 Soviet troops now, but they are still increasing their troops, and if the Soviets are in a hurry, they can also transfer troops from Vladivostok, and it is not difficult to gather more than 100,000 people there. On the Western Front, even if you repel the attack of the Soviet troops, they will continue to disturb, and we will not dare to withdraw our troops for a while, even if it is delayed, we cannot afford it. ”

Song Zhewu said lightly: "Han Qing, if it is just to repel the attack of the Soviet army, it will naturally not work, then our hundreds of thousands of troops will be stationed at the border for a long time." But what if I completely annihilate the Soviet troops here on the Western Front? ”

Zhang Xueliang stood up abruptly and said in surprise: "You said that you want to annihilate the more than 20,000 Soviet troops here?" ”

Song Zhewu nodded firmly and said, "Yes, it is to completely annihilate the Soviet army." And then negotiate with the Soviets. ”

Zhang Xueliang was stunned for a long time, and still said with some disbelief: "How easy is it to talk about the total annihilation of the Soviet army, and if it is really like that, what else will we talk to them?" ”

Song Zhewu smoked a cigarette and said: "If the Soviets really want to make up their minds to fight us, don't say that with our two armies, even if our whole country and the Soviet army are fighting the border, we are not necessarily the opponents of the Soviet army." However, the Soviet army is now impossible, and does not have the strength to transfer troops to the Far East on a large scale, and these 100,000 or so troops should be the limit of the strength that the Soviets can draw, and its main defensive direction is still in Europe. The Soviet army should not have known that our Fourth Route Army was participating in the war, and if we suddenly appeared when it launched an attack on Manchuria, we would definitely take him by surprise, and it would not be impossible for us to annihilate 20,000 or 30,000 Soviet troops with our more than 100,000 troops. ”

"If the Soviets lose tens of thousands of men at once, their forces will immediately be stretched thin, and if they continue to cross the border on the Eastern Front, they will have to guard against our attack on the Western Front and attack on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is the economic artery of the Soviet Union connecting its territory between Europe and Asia, and it is impossible for the Soviets to ignore the importance of the Soviet army in the Far East."

Zhang Xueliang thought for a while and said, "Wenge, but what if the Soviets continue to increase troops on the Western Front?" If you annihilate his tens of thousands of troops, the Soviets will definitely be in a real hurry, even if he does not transfer troops from Europe, but it still has more than 200,000 troops in the Far East, and if it transfers more than 100,000 troops on the Western Front, won't it have to fight a big battle? ”

Song Zhewu nodded in agreement and said: "Han Qing's concerns are reasonable, even if the Soviets do not fight this border war with us, just to ensure the safety of the Trans-Siberian Railway, they will increase their troops on the Western Front, but their troops in the Far East are limited, and if they mobilize troops in the Far East, they can only draw troops from the Transbaikal Military District and the Vladivostok Military District." The Soviets in Vladivostok were not going to move easily, and they were going to be on guard against themselves. Some of the troops of the Transbaikal Military District have already been transferred to form the Far Eastern Special Army Group, and now the remaining forces must be insufficient, and if the Soviets want to continue fighting this war, they can only continue to increase troops from Europe to the Far East. ”

"And the greatest threat to it comes precisely from Europe, besides, we have annihilated tens of thousands of his troops, they will no longer dare to despise us, and if he wants to ensure the safety of the Trans-Siberian Railway, he needs to mobilize at least 100,000 men and horses, and it is difficult for the Soviets to make this decision. At this time, we should take the initiative to negotiate with the Soviets, and the final solution to the 'Middle East Road Incident' can only be resolved through negotiations. ”

Song Zhewu's analysis convinced Zhang Xueliang very much, and he was also very excited, and his face was a little red because of excitement. If the Soviet army on the Western Front can really be solved in one fell swoop, this result is enough to shock the nerves of the Soviets, who will never dare to continue the war on the Eastern Front, in which case the border war will be resolved, and it is even very likely that part of the territory lost during the Manchu Qing Dynasty will be recovered.

Zhang Xueliang asked Song Zhewu excitedly: "Wen Ge, are you really sure that the Soviet army on the Western Front will be completely annihilated?" ”

"As long as Han Qing supports me, I can do it." Song Zhewu nodded affirmatively.

Zhang Xueliang said expectantly: "If that's the case, what else do we talk about with the Soviets?" Simply Wenge, your Fourth Route Army will attack the territory of the Soviet Union, cut off the Trans-Siberian Railway for him, and force him to take the initiative to negotiate with us. ”

Song Zhewu shook his head resolutely and said: "Han Qing, that won't work, if we go deep into their territory and even cut off the transportation of the Trans-Siberian Railway, then we will force the Soviets and us to fight hard." If he brings another 100,000 men on the Western Front, supported by planes and heavy artillery, it will be very difficult for us to win, and we will even fail. ”

Zhang Xueliang, who slowly calmed down, still asked unwillingly: "That is to say, even if you win a big victory on the Western Front, we still have to negotiate with the Soviets to solve the problem?" ”

Song Zhewu let out a long breath and said: "Han Qing, although our country has now achieved reunification in name since the Northeast changed banners, you should know very well that the country is still in a state of fragmentation, and the powerful factions in various places and the central government are far from having the same mind, Nanjing just wants to fight with the Soviets, and they don't have that strength, and Chairman Jiang must always be on guard against these local powerful factions." The Soviets can now defeat any of our resistance in the border areas as long as they gather between 300 and 500,000 troops. ”

"As the saying goes, 'a skinny camel is bigger than a horse' The Soviet Union is, after all, an old power, although their industrial base is not as good as that of the European powers, but it has great potential, and it is far stronger than us compared to us, they can build their own aircraft and tanks, what can we build? Wars are fought with strength, and this is especially true in wars on the border, which is hard resistance in strength. So, we can only negotiate with the Soviets. ”

Zhang Xueliang let out a long sigh, he understood that Song Zhewu was right, he had to win Longwangshu, and it would be the best outcome to be able to exchange a victory for a good negotiation result.

Zhang Xueliang thought for a while and said to Song Zhewu: "Wen Ge, your plan is very good, I think this is the best way to solve this border war caused by the 'Middle East Road Incident'." But the question is, can Chairman Chiang in Nanjing agree to negotiations? He will not agree to negotiate with the Soviets to solve the problem now, and if you completely annihilate the tens of thousands of Soviet troops on the Western Front, Chairman Chiang will definitely think that we are capable of defeating the Soviets, and he will be even more unwilling to negotiate to solve the problem. ”

Song Zhewu looked at Zhang Xueliang and said: "Han Qing, you are right, Chairman Jiang will definitely not agree to negotiate with the Soviets, so this negotiation must put aside the Nanjing political axe, and you must negotiate with the Soviets in the name of the head of the Northeast local political axe." ”

"It's up to me to negotiate with the Soviets? What if Nanjing doesn't admit it? Will the Soviets do it? Zhang Xueliang asked a series of questions.

Song Zhewu snuffed out the cigarette butt that was almost burning to his fingers and said: "Yes, you must negotiate with the Soviets, if it is handed over to Nanjing, even if they agree to negotiate, their attitude will be very tough, so that the Soviets will not be able to get their face down, then they will force the Soviets to fight with us." So, this negotiation can only be negotiated by you and the Soviets. ”

Song Zhewu smiled meaningfully and said: "As for the negotiation between you and the Soviets, I can say with certainty that the Nanjing political axe will definitely not agree, and they will even declare that your negotiation is illegal, and any result of the negotiation is naturally illegal." However, this will not affect the effective implementation of the results of this negotiation, and do not forget that now the Northeast is actually Han Qing and you have the final say, and the central government is beyond the reach of the whip. ”

Zhang Xueliang understood that this was Song Zhewu saying that he was still a local powerhouse with relative reading power, and Chiang Kai-shek could not completely control him. His face couldn't help but blush slightly, and he opened his mouth to say something, but after thinking about it, he chose to acquiesce.

Song Zhewu smiled slightly and continued: "The Soviets provoked a border war, their purpose was to take back the 'Middle East Road', but in fact, in the final analysis, they still couldn't save face. When Tsarist Russia built the 'Middle East Road', it wanted to extend its tentacles into the hinterland of the Northeast first, and once the time was ripe, they could dominate the Northeast. However, after the Russo-Russian War, neither the former Tsarist Russia nor the current Soviet political axe could not covet the Northeast, because they were afraid of causing the Second Russo-Russian War. He said that he was fighting in the Far East, which the Soviets tried to avoid at this time. ”

"Since they will no longer occupy the Northeast by force, then the 'Eastern Railway' is of no great significance to them, and the strategic significance of the 'Eastern Railway' is no longer there. Therefore, the Soviets' desire to regain control of the 'Middle East Road' is only a matter of face. In other words, there is no need for them to fight with us, as long as they find that there will be a huge price to pay to retake the 'Middle East Road' by force, they will hesitate. ”

"If we propose a negotiated settlement at this time, and write sweetness to them, such as guaranteeing the interests of their expatriates and businessmen in the Northeast, not only allowing them to use the China Eastern Railway commercially, but even giving them some preferential treatment in freight transportation, so that the Soviets can get by on face, the Soviets are very likely to swallow this bitter fruit, especially the opposition of Nanjing, the white-faced Chairman Chiang."

Song Zhewu said solemnly: "However, I want to remind Han Qing that we cannot desperately make concessions to the Soviets in order to end the border war as soon as possible, and we must not lose an inch of land in this negotiation, which is the bottom line that must be adhered to." ”

Song Zhewu looked at Zhang Xueliang, who was listening carefully, and Song Zhewu said a little apologetically: "It's just that in this way, Han Qing will inevitably be blamed by the people." ”

Zhang Xueliang slowly sat back on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and smoked silently.

After being silent for a long time, Zhang Xueliang raised his head and said with a firm gaze: "Wen Ge, as long as I can take back the sovereignty of the 'Middle East Road' and save the Northeast fathers and elders from the disaster of war, I can bear it even if I Zhang Xueliang is reproached or even abused." Your plan is good, but the point is that you have to win a big victory on the Western Front. What do you need me to do, Wengo, I will fully support you. ”

Song Zhewu saw that his plan had been agreed by Zhang Xueliang, and all that remained was how he would achieve this necessary victory, and said politely at the moment: "Okay!" Since Han Qing said so, I am not welcome, if you want to achieve this big victory on the Western Front, Han Qing must meet several of my conditions. ”

"As long as I can win, I will agree to any conditions." Zhang Xueliang said without hesitation.

"First, the matter of my Fourth Route Army going north will continue to be kept strictly secret, which is an important factor in our victory. Although there are already some people in the Northeast Army who know about this matter, I also ask Han Qing not to disclose the specific location of our Fourth Route Army now, and the time when it arrived in Manchuria, the fewer people who know this news, the better; Second, Han Qing wants to ensure the supply of my weapons, ammunition, and materials; Thirdly, the Soviets have planes and tanks, both of which we do not have, and they will cause us a lot of casualties. I'll find a way to deal with the planes, but to deal with the Soviet tanks, Han Qing needs to provide us with some anti-aircraft guns; Fourth, the command system of the Northeast Army on the front line in Manchuria is now chaotic, and not only Hu Yukun, commander of the Second Anti-Russian Army, can command it, but Wan Fulin, deputy commander of the Heilongjiang Provincial Frontier Defense Department, can also command it. I demand that these troops must obey my orders absolutely; Fifthly, I need all the intelligence of the Soviet troops on the Western Front. including the number of Soviet troops, the number of personnel, the armament, the location of the station, the location of the airfield, and the arrangement of the defenses, and from tomorrow onwards, any information on the nuclear Soviet conflict on the Manchuria side must be reported to me immediately; Sixth, I need some guides who know Russian and are familiar with the terrain of Manchuria and the territory of the Soviet Union opposite; Seventh, Han Qing must strictly order the troops on the eastern front to resolutely resist and retreat one by one, and must not allow the Soviet army to smoothly seize such important cities as Mudanjiang and Jiamusi, and make the Soviet army pay the price for every step forward. ”

After a pause, Song Zhewu said solemnly: "If Han Qing can meet my requirements for these conditions, I will guarantee the total annihilation of the Soviet army on the Western Front." ”

(To be continued)