However, while Chairman Chiang was happy, he was inevitably a little worried.

Because Chairman Jiang knew Mao Zedong too well, Mao Zedong suffered such a big loss, and he would definitely not give up, and he could completely realize that the CCP would definitely launch a fierce counterattack politically and even militarily in the future

Chairman Chiang just couldn't predict how Mao Zedong and the CCP would fight back.

In the final analysis, Chairman Chiang has not yet figured out Mao Zedong's thinking, and whether Mao Zedong uses troops or political strategy, it is all an antelope with horns hanging and there is no trace to be found.

At that moment, Chairman Jiang asked Wang Shihe to call Dai Li and instructed him to strengthen his vigilance.

Although Chairman Chiang had expected that Mao Zedong and the CCP would launch a counterattack, and that the CCP's counterattack would be extremely fierce, he still did not expect that the CCP's counterattack would be so rapid and so sharp

The next day, Zhou Enlai, the leader of the Communist Party of China, wrote angrily in Xinhua Daily, "Strange injustices through the ages, a leaf in the south of the Yangtze River; In the same room, why the urgency of frying each other", the truth of the incident in southern Anhui was made public to the world for the first time, which immediately caused an uproar in the whole of China.

Mao Zedong mobilized the CCP's propaganda machine and launched a fierce political attack on Chairman Chiang and the Nationalist Government

In Chongqing, the capital of the Nationalist Government, the Communists took even more complete action, occupying every street and alley in the mountain city, putting up slogans and distributing leaflets to tell all circles in Chongqing the truth about the incident in southern Anhui, and at the same time calling on students to rally in front of the embassies of various countries in Chongqing to spread propaganda to the ambassadors of Western countries to China.

Dai Li's Military Command Bureau did its best to deal with it, and the students who marched in the streets were arrested one after another, and even the military command headquarters at No. 16 Luojiawan was full of students, but the number of students marching in the streets continued unabated

The bullet pressure of the Military Command Bureau was like a small glass of water, which could not be extinguished at all by the public opinion offensive launched by the Communist Party, which was like a raging fire, and for a time, the whole country and the industrial and commercial circles launched a huge campaign of denunciation, denouncing Chairman Chiang for his disregard for morality, ignoring the anti-Japanese united front of the whole nation, and ostracizing dissidents under the pretext of rectifying military discipline.

I have to say that Mao Zedong and the CCP were able to throw off Chairman Chiang and the Kuomintang a few streets in terms of using the weapon of public opinion

In the face of wave after wave of political offensives launched by the Chinese Communist Party, Chairman Chiang was in a hurry.

Even local powerful warlords such as Yan Xishan, Long Yun, and Li Zongren have come forward one after another, either explicitly or covertly, accusing Chairman Chiang of ignoring the overall situation of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and only caring about excluding dissidents, and suppressing potential political opponents in the name of rectifying military discipline.

Obviously, these local powerful warlords also felt the pressure from the Southern Anhui Incident.

If Chairman Chiang can attack the New Fourth Army today, who can guarantee that he will not attack them tomorrow? Out of the sadness of the dead rabbit and the fox, Yan Xishan, Li Zongren, and Long Yun put pressure on Chairman Jiang one after another.

However, the straw that crushed Chairman Chiang's camel was the war correspondents and ministers of Western countries stationed in Chongqing, who were also touched by the Communist Party's repeated propaganda and also expressed their dissatisfaction to the Nationalist Government.

Because Chairman Jiang did this, he was directly weakening Shijie's anti-fascist Liliang.

Stilwell insisted that the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army under the leadership of the Communist Party were the real anti-Japanese armed forces, while Chairman Chiang, as the leader of the Nationalist Government, no longer regarded the War of Resistance as his natural duty, but regarded the War of Resistance as a means of blackmail from the United States.

After learning of this news, Chairman Chiang was immediately shocked and hurriedly came forward to publicly state his position: The New Fourth Army belongs to the rebels, and it is only natural to suppress the rebels, but in view of the fact that the troops of the New Fourth Army that have violated military discipline have been suppressed, their names have been revoked, and the purpose of the Central Military Commission has been achieved, they will absolutely not continue to expand Yunyun.

This was tantamount to a public promise that the Nationalist Government would not launch any further offensives against the Communist-led Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army in the future.

(Dividing Line)

In this turmoil, the most unlucky ones are Gu Zhutong and his third war zone.

Because of the overwhelming public opinion propaganda of the Communist Party, the great victory in southern Anhui, which was originally in the eyes of senior generals of the Third War Zone such as Gu Zhutong and Shangguan Yunxiang, was characterized as the Southern Anhui Incident.

What especially made Gu Zhutong vomit blood and fight three times was that he had already mobilized heavy troops and vowed to exterminate the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army in southern Anhui, but now that Chairman Jiang expressed his position, he would not launch an offensive against the New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army in the future, and this battle would naturally not be fought.

Although the Southern Anhui Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army has not yet joined the Communist Party, in fact, the Southern Anhui Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army has already become a family with the CCP.

can't attack the anti-Japanese salvation army in southern Anhui, which means that Xu Shijiu lured the first officers and soldiers to mutiny before, and it can only be stopped, Gu Zhutong suffered such a big dumb loss, how could he not vomit blood?

"An army, this is an army, which army is just gone." Gu Zhu sat on the chair with a depressed expression.

The first army originally had three full divisions, a full 30,000 people, but now, there are less than 10,000 left, and what is particularly hateful is that after Xu 19 deceived the officers and soldiers of the first army with meager rations, he only selected less than 3,000 of them to stay, and the remaining nearly 20,000 people let him be sent home.

In the current situation, the first army is completely abolished, and the remaining strength is only enough to form a division, and the army commanders Zhang Wenqing, Zhan Zhongyan and Tang Yunshan, the two division commanders, are still locked up by the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army in southern Anhui.

However, after breaking and standing, after the 25th Army suffered this catastrophe, it also strengthened Gu Zhutong's determination to rectify, and Gu Zhutong was not ignorant of the chaos in the third theater, nor was he indifferent, he just couldn't find a suitable opportunity to make changes.

Now, however, an opportunity has arisen.

The adjutant came in and reported, "The chief seat, the staff seat has arrived." ”

Gu Zhutong sighed and said gloomily: "Please ask the chief of staff to come in." ”

After a while, Huang Baitao walked in, and saw Gu Zhutong lying on his back on the rocking chair with an extremely gloomy expression, Huang Baitao hurriedly stepped forward and asked with concern: "Chief Seat, are you not feeling well, do you want the military doctor to come over and take a look?" ”

"No, I'm fine." Gu Zhutong waved his right hand tiredly, and said, "Sit down, sit down, sit down and talk." ”

Huan Ran is the word Huang Baitao, which means a new look.

Huang Baitao was very flattered, Gu Zhutong has always called him by his name, or directly called his position, Chief of Staff, in his impression, he has never called him a word, under normal circumstances, only a confidant will be Meng Shangfeng to be commensurate with the word.

Huang Baitao sat down opposite Gu Zhutong, but he only dared to sit on the chair with half of his buttocks, but he didn't dare to sit down, in the final analysis, Huang Baitao still had a bad background, first invested in the direct line, and then joined the Feng department, the Feng department was wiped out by the Northern Expeditionary Army, and Zuihou voted for Chairman Jiang.

Gu Zhutong looked at Huang Baitao for more than ten seconds, and then asked, "Huanran, do you want to go down and lead the troops?"

A wave of blood surged into Huang Baitao's head in an instant, are you kidding? Do you want to go down and lead the troops? Idiots are willing to stay in the commander's department, idiots are unwilling to lead troops Huang Baitao stays in the commander's department is nominally the chief of staff, but in fact he is a fart, not to mention the commander-in-chief of the group army below, even the army commander and division commander don't take him seriously.

However, Huang Baitao still controlled his emotions well.

Huang Baitao is not sure, is this Gu Zhutong's sincere words, or just his temptation, in case it is just his temptation, and he really shows his willingness to go down to lead the troops, then I am afraid that in the past ten years, he will not think about going down to lead the troops.

At that moment, Huang Baitao said: "The humble position is all arranged by the general seat. ”

Gu Zhutong was physically and mentally exhausted, and at this time, he couldn't take care of Huang Baitao's true thoughts, so he said straight to the point: "Zhang Wenqing has lost his prestige, and he is not suitable to serve as the chief officer anymore, and now the situation in the first army is also very bad, if you are allowed to go, do you have the confidence to put this army in order in a short period of time?" ”

Huang Baitao's face suddenly swelled with a touch of red, and when he got to this, he could already be sure that Gu Zhutong was not tempted, but really intended to let him go to the army, of course, this was also related to the fact that Gu Zhutong really couldn't find a suitable candidate to be the commander of the first army.

However, this is still a very good opportunity for Huang Baitao.

At that moment, Huang Baitao stood up suddenly and said: "Humble duty will never be dishonored"