The next day was a Sunday, when Fan Deping refused the request of his wife and a pair of children to accompany him to the Summer Palace, saying that visiting the garden in winter was simply to find guilt, saying that he still had something to do, and that he would go to the General Staff to report to General Situ.

The wife, who moved from Shanghai to Beijing because her husband transferred the work of the General Staff Department, was dissatisfied, "Doesn't the General Staff Staff take a break?" Who's going to fool you? She actually wanted to spend more time with her husband, especially when she learned that he would soon return to Russia.

"Joke! There is no reason for the General Staff to rest! Especially at this time! As he spoke, he picked up the confidential phone and wanted to call the duty room of the General Staff Operations Department, and after checking his identity, the other party replied that Chief Situ was in the office.

Fan Deping's house is in the compound of the General Staff Headquarters, which is an independent two-story small building, and an internal confidential telephone is installed.

Without a car, Fan Deping walked ten minutes to Situ Jun's office.

Situ Jun, who was explaining his work to a colonel he didn't know, got up and shook hands with Fan Deping, "Please sit for five minutes." ”

Fan Deping sat on the sofa and waited, and the housekeeper had already brought hot tea. While sipping tea, he listened to Situ Jun discussing the issue of establishment with the colonel. He looked at the furnishings of Situ Jun's office, and at the same time looked at his top boss with the corner of his eye, Situ Jun did not wear a military hat, his hair was combed without any mess, even in the office, the style and discipline buckle was still buttoned, and the three five-pointed gold stars on the epaulettes were shining. His large and austere office has not changed in any way, except for the banner on the opposite side of the sofa that reads "Plunder is as immovable as a mountain" written on the right side.

Fan Deping is Situ Jun's old subordinate. When the base area was countering the encirclement and suppression, Situ Jun defected. was immediately reused by Long Qian, and became Ning Shijun's deputy, and Fan Deping was still a staff officer of Ning Shijun's staff department at that time. But there is no selfish relationship with each other. Soon after the troops entered Jinan, Fan Deping was transferred to the northeast, and the reunion was already in Beijing, and Situ Jun had already sat firmly on the throne of the chief of the general staff.

He always felt that Situ Jun was not the same person as himself. is also not the same as the veterans of the Mengshan Army, but Situ Jun undoubtedly won Long Qian's trust, especially after Situ Jun married Lu Bicheng, a famous talented woman in Beijing. Today, Lu Bicheng is the deputy director of the presidential office, and it is said that all the proclamations of the presidential palace come from him.

Soon, the colonel stood up. Put the documents in a briefcase. He saluted Situ Jun and Fan Deping respectively and left the office of the Chief of the General Staff. Situ Jun didn't talk to him, but picked up the phone and said to someone, "Deputy Chief Fan is here." Come here. Then shake his hand again. sat across from him.

"Yesterday I had an urgent business. I was going to the presidential palace. Situ Jun said. I called Deputy General Director Jiang to listen to the situation at the front line. ”

After Jiang Fang's epicenter came, Situ Jun had already spread out a large-scale map. This time, instead of Fan Deping telling about the course of the Romanian campaign, Situ Jun asked some detailed questions, such as the inadequacy of the 12th Army and the situation in the later stages of the Bucharest campaign. Focusing on the situation of Ye Yanbing's group army in terms of weapon loss and battlefield medical care, Situ Jun seemed to be a little disappointed that the German army did not use poison gas in Romania, and the troops were equipped with self-developed gas masks, but they were not tested in actual combat.

"Chemical warfare is a double-edged sword, especially for countries that possess chemical weapons. Maybe they're afraid of our retaliation. Fan Deping said. It was also when he left Shanghai and returned to the army that he learned that the Ordnance Administration had developed a chemical agent used in combat at a research institute in Guangzhou, which was much more powerful than the chlorine used by the Germans. Moreover, the news of the successful trial production of the new agent was not kept secret, and he realized at that time that it was deliberate, deliberately to make the Germans, who had used chemical weapons several times, scheming.

"I think it's the climate and topography of Romania that limits the use of chemical weapons, and we don't take it lightly." Situ Jun said, "If the president says not to be the first to use, you must not forget it." ”

"Of course. Commander Ye specifically talked about this before the war. The chemical detachment was heavily protected. ”

"It seems that the heavy artillery division did not play a role." Jiang Fangzhen said, "This kind of clever battle can not be repeated. The next battle is a tough one. ”

"So there is a problem with the establishment of the troops. Adjustments must be made, division-level units should be established to deal with mountain operations, and the experience of the 13 th Army should be taken seriously. You have to hurry up on this matter. Situ Jun turned to Fan Deping and said, "Now that Commander Ye has returned to Ukraine, if he fights in Poland or Ukraine, the role of the heavy artillery division will appear." The key is the issue of transportation, the roads over there are really bad? ”

"Yes, it is difficult to mobilize a large army without the support of a railway line. Commander Ye hopes to transfer more cars and drivers over. ”

"It's already arranged." Situ Jun rubbed his temples.

"Two divisions of the Railway Corps have entered Russia, and the focus is on ensuring the capacity of the Trans-Siberian railway line. The wagons are very tight, we have already transferred 400 wagons, and the key is that we are also very nervous, but fortunately, two locomotive and rolling stock factories are already under construction. Jiang Fangzhen said.

The topic returned to the war situation, and the three of them made a deduction about the situation they had mastered from friend to foe, and Situ believed that the German army must move on the Eastern Front, either in Southeast Europe or Poland. Jiang Fangzhen agreed with Situ Jun's judgment and asked Fan Deping for his opinion, but Fan Deping could not say well, the key was that the enemy situation he had grasped was too sketchy, and he could not even name the numbers of the Eastern Front Divisions of the German and Austrian armies.

"The president's basic idea is to keep the expeditionary force at its current size, no more increases, at most some auxiliary troops." Situ Jun said, "The country has begun to prepare troops for rotation, and the 1st Army, the 11th Army and the 4th Army are already replenishing and training." The first battle in Romania dispelled my fears, but I think we still lack the experience to go head-to-head with the Germans. Now it is a dilemma, on the one hand the president does not want the expeditionary force to play a decisive role, and on the other hand it is necessary to fight, and Romania alone is not enough. ”

"Withdrawing troops out of Romania may be a mistake." "It was an unexpected result," he said, pointing to the map. Using it as a base, we concentrated two army groups that would be enough to destroy Bulgaria, if we arched any further. After obtaining a reliable port, it was possible to rely on the sea supply of Britain and France. In that case, the pressure at home will be lighter. ”

"Why not? But the president was concerned that the situation in that area was too complicated. Moreover, the president has other considerations......" Situ Jun raised his head, "Have you read the information of the Military Intelligence Agency?" ”

"Nope. I didn't have time. ”

"The materials are ready, but you can only read them at the General Counsellor, not take them home. What number are you going to go? ”

"Commander Wang wants me to return to the front line by the 15th. Depart Beijing on the 6th at the latest. ”

"What's your arrangement? Personal? ”

"If I allow, I would like to go back to Shandong. My wife said that my father was sick. ”

"It should. You'll be ready to go in the afternoon. I'll ask someone to arrange it, let's go by plane. However, you'd better read the CIA's article right away. It takes an hour. I'll give you two days and you can take your family with you. Some things will have to be discussed when we come back. There's another trip to the president. ”

"Understood."

Half past four in the afternoon. Fan Deping did not bring his adjutant, and his family flew to Jinan on a special communication plane of the General Staff Department. His wife Zeng Xiuying and two children were on a plane for the first time, Zeng Xiuying vomited, but the two children had nothing.

The command of the Central Military District has already received a notification from the General Staff. Lieutenant General Qu Hongxiang, commander of the Central Military Region, personally greeted him at the airport. Night. Han Ziying hosted a banquet for Fan Deping. He made a request and asked Deputy General General Fan to spare half a day to make a report to the generals at and above the division level of the Central Military Region, "Everyone admires the brilliant achievements of the expeditionary force. I want to listen to Vice President Fan's comments with my own ears. In addition, I would like to hear about the situation in Europe, which will help to improve the training of the troops. ”

Qu Hongxiang, who had made great contributions in the Shandong Campaign, was finally promoted to the commander of the region, and he and Fan Deping became acquainted in the Battle of Xigu, and once worked together in Situ Jun's staff office, but their personal relationship was not deep.

"Commander Qu, my return this time is purely a private matter. Isn't that good? ”

"Ling Zun's condition has basically recovered, I went to Qingzhou to visit the elderly, and I am in good spirits. You're going home tomorrow morning, two days is enough, right? The night after tomorrow, you will tell us about the Romanian campaign. This time, the General Staff transferred the 16th Army instead of the 6th Army, and the 6th Army had a lot of opinions. You are the deputy chief of the General Staff, and you speak more effectively than I do. ”

"Why? The 6th Army is the mainstay of the Wehrmacht. You can't transfer all the Wehrmacht guards to Europe, right? ”

Vice President Fan was polite. The 9th Army's record in Romania proved that they were superior to the 6th Army. In any respect, the Japanese devils are no match for the Germans. That's it. After that, Qu Hongxiang raised his glass to Zeng Xiuying and said, "I salute Mrs. with a glass." Deputy Chief Fan went abroad to fight and shoulder the heavy responsibility, and we are responsible for the affairs of his hometown, please rest assured, Mrs., I specially told the Qingzhou garrison to let them take care of their families. You can take care of your children in Beijing with peace of mind. ”

"Thank you, Commander Qu. My father didn't want to leave his hometown, so I said that I should do my filial piety in front of the bed for my husband, but I couldn't leave. The letter from my hometown mentioned Commander Qu's care several times, and I finally had an opportunity to thank him in person......"

"That's exactly how it should be." Fan Deping also stood up, "Thank you." ”

Zeng Xiuying was born in a famous family and is said to be a descendant of Zeng Zi. They have already moved to Qingzhou to do business, and they are a well-known family in Qingzhou. However, the Fan family, whose ancestral home is Qingzhou, is an authentic farmer, and the two sides are not in the right household. During the Fifth Town period, Fan Deping assisted Feng Guozhu in training troops in Qingzhou, and by chance fell in love with Zeng Xiuying in the boudoir, and achieved a marriage through Feng Guozhu's matchmaker. The Zeng family hesitated at first, but they did not expect that the Mengshan army would overthrow the Manchu Qing and establish a new country. At the beginning, because Long Qian raised troops against the Qing Dynasty and scolded him as a rebellious minister and thief, his great-father once refused Fan Deping's visit, and now he has long since stopped mentioning the old things, Fan Deping has become the biggest backer of the Zeng family, because his son-in-law is in charge of Shanghai, the Zeng family's business has done Shanghai, and his great-father has also become a member of the Qingzhou City Council, and he is the master of the local stomping and trembling.

The next day, Fan Deping's family returned to Qingzhou under Qu Hongxiang's arrangement. Fan Deping went back to his house for a day first, and the old father was indeed in good spirits as Qu Hongxiang said, so Fan Deping was relieved. The Fan family is an honest farmer, who neither understands nor cares about national affairs, and his son is a close general of the president, and the local government takes care of the Fan family. Fan's father repeatedly told his son that since ancient times, it is difficult to achieve both loyalty and filial piety, and loyalty cannot be fulfilled, so don't worry about your family, be loyal to the commander, and do your job well is the greatest filial piety.

On the third day, I went to my father-in-law's house to talk a lot. The son-in-law, who was the chief of the general staff of the expeditionary force, returned home to the provincial family, making the Zeng family "feel like a great enemy", and the relatives concerned came, and the excitement was even worse than the New Year. Zeng Xiuying was very excited, and she felt a light on her face. But Fan Deping was overwhelmed.

After the banquet, his father-in-law dragged him to the study for an afternoon of secret talks, thinking that it was not a good choice for Fan Deping to leave the mayor's throne of Shanghai to serve in the General Staff Department, and talked about the Zeng family's business. Zeng's family started by opening a dyeing workshop, and now runs several textile factories, and his great-father hoped that Fan Deping would take care of the family's business, and hoped to get a large order from the Joint Logistics Headquarters in terms of military uniforms, and also hoped to open a factory in Tianjin.

Fan Deping said, "As far as I know, the order for clothing is indeed very large, Britain, France and Russia have placed orders for our country, you can do it, but you must follow the rules, but also ensure the quality." There are strict rules for military procurement. In recent years, many people have been dealt with because of various shortcomings in the procurement process, and this time I met Minister Song in Changchun, and he also talked about the quality problems of military blankets and coats purchased for the expeditionary force. You must not use my banner because the President hates his subordinates for abusing power for personal gain, and if they are caught by the Joint Logistics Headquarters and the Ministry of Supervision, they will be in trouble, so you must be careful. ”

"Deping, it's not me talking about you, you're just too angry. Thousands of miles of officials are only for money, what are you fighting the world for? Yes, your salary is high, and it is enough to support your family. But how much can you leave for your children and grandchildren? Can you pass on your lieutenant general's cards to your son? Can't you? Everyone knows that the business of the army is easy to do. Isn't the one in charge of logistics fat? You don't have to tell Minister Song, just say hello to his subordinates, and a qiē will be fine. Minister Song and you are both old subordinates of the president, even if he knows, what can he do? Could it be that it is cheaper for others? Brother Xiuying is worried that he can't find a way, you can't contact you in the war in Russia, and he is in a hurry. I heard that there is a big business in Tianjin, which is military blankets, and there are hundreds of thousands of pieces. The family is raising funds to build a factory in Tianjin, and it is easy to say that as long as we receive the order, we can borrow money from commercial banks. You must help with this favor. ”

"Father-in-law, it's not that I don't help, it's really hard to open my mouth. If you want me to see, the family's business is already very good, and the Shanghai company's annual income is not less than 100,000 yuan, right? Enough to spend. The president has a big heart, and he wants to not only build a country, but also create an era that transcends history. What others don't know, I know. None of Mr. Chen's family is in business, and he is afraid that others will gossip. In my opinion, this business should be forgotten. ”

"Deping! That's when the book gets angry. Chen Chao is just a humble Confucian, that is, he wants to do business, where does it come from? The family's business is reserved for you to have shares, how can you lose it to Xiuying and Xiuying? Besides, what creates an era that transcends history is a big deal. It can be compared to the rule of Zhenguan, and it will go down in history. To put it mildly, I don't approve of some of the president's practices, such as the Peasants' and Workers' Party, what are you doing, a bunch of mud-legged people who know how to govern the country? Now that the local council has become a muddy pond, anyone can enter the council, and I am ready to resign from the council to specialize in business, and I will not insult my ancestors by discussing with those people. You can rest assured, the Zeng family will behave in business, and the tax should not be less. You must show Brother Xiuying a way, you can't shirk this matter. ”

In desperation, Fan Deping gave his father-in-law a name, "Yang Fengshan used to be my subordinate, and now he is in the joint logistics headquarters, with the rank of brigadier general, and he is in charge of the quilt." You let the eldest brother find him, just say my name, no need to write a letter, but see outside. However, if the bid fails, forget it, there is an opportunity, and the money is not endless. ”

Great-father asked Fan Deping to write a letter of recommendation, but Fan Deping resolutely refused to write it. asked Yang Fengshan's contact information in detail, and finally spared his son-in-law. (To be continued......)