The second is the so-called veteran group. Generally speaking, the army attributed those who had participated in the reorganization of the Mengshan army to the veteran group, and now this title has expanded from the army to other fields, and this uncomfortable title for Long Qian has been publicly published in the newspapers, and even a novelist from Zhejiang alluded to the various misdeeds of the veterans of the Mengshan Army in a group of short stories that he thought had used a new technique of fiction in the name of the 28th general of Emperor Guangwu. The novels caused an uproar after they were published by the Humanities Society of Peking University, which has always regarded itself as a leader of literary trends. The then Minister of Defense, Marshal Feng Guozhu, was extremely furious and prepared to clean up the maverick novelist. In fact, Feng Shuai doesn't read novels, he listened to the report of a certain leader of the Youth Army Federation before he found the novel collection of less than 100,000 words to read, thinking that it was stricter than the report of the Youth Army Federation, and even suspected of sneering and insulting the president.

The Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense was even ready to prosecute the writer, but the matter was finally suppressed by Long Qian. Long Qian wrote a comment to the Ministry of National Defense on an article on the guidance of public opinion, dispelling the idea of the Propaganda Bureau -- the so-called reform of what is done is not to be encouraged, and some people stand up to pay attention to the military, is it a good thing or a bad thing? Are you so weak that you can even be afraid of a novel? Instead of facing the enemy, it is better to reflect on whether you have deteriorated the twenty-eight nights.

The Propaganda Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense, which is actually responsible for the management of the domestic situation, understands the president's consistent attitude toward the cultural circles, and as long as it does not violate the current laws and does not constitute the crime of treason, leaking secrets, or defamation, it is free to say and write whatever it wants. Even if you really take that Zhejiang person to court, it will be fine. In the Nanyang military group, which Liu Xiu relied on, there were those who were good at protecting the rich and noble. But there are also those who have been ruined, at least they are not invented. The Eastern Han Dynasty Founding Group is a metaphor for the Mengshan Army, which is very polite. If you count the founding heroes of the Western Han Dynasty, the end will be much more miserable.

The veteran group is something that does exist zài. After going through the ups and downs of the ten years before the founding of the People's Republic of China, the surviving "veterans" are now all powerful factions, and those in the army are also brigadier generals at the very least. At the local level, the position is higher, and when you are a vice governor, you feel aggrieved.

But. Most of the members of the patriarchal group are "entrenched" in the military system, including the ordnance system. Less than one-fifth of them took off their proud military uniforms to serve in the local area.

The army listened to Long Qian, and now there is no survivor of the rebellion against Long Qian's forces. But the Mengshan Army system of the authentic bloodline of the Wehrmacht. There are also three major mountains. In 1903, Long Qian divided his troops outside the pass, forming the first big hill headed by Lu Mountain, which was later the Northern Military System, Xiong Xun, Shi Dashou, Fan Deping, Cheng Erhu, etc. are all representatives of this mountain. In 1906, Long Qian led the army to the south. The generals who remained in Shandong formed the Shandong Army. This is another hill in the Mengshan military system, represented by Fang Shijun, Ye Yanbing, Wu Nian, and Qu Hongxiang. Of course, there is also a main peak system, that is, the Southern Army under the command of Long Qian, represented by Wang Mingyuan, Feng Guozhu, and Situ. Under each big mountain, it is divided into several small hills, like within the Southern Army, the original Ninth Association looked down on the Tenth Association led by Zhou Yi. I think that Jiuxie is authentic. This has something to do with the later fall of Zhou Yi. Sorting out the development trajectories of the officers of the two associations (brigades) that Long Qian brought to Hunan and Guangdong at that time, it is obvious that the future of the Ninth Association is brighter. The battalion commander of the Nine Associations at the time. Now they are also division commanders, and many of them have already served as army commanders or staff chiefs of a considerable level at that time, or have served in the headquarters. The Ten Associations are much worse, and it was later that Long Qian deliberately cultivated the officers of the Ten Associations system, such as Lan Xinzhi, Han Ziying, Long Hongyuan, etc., which made the Ten Associations a little angry. Zhou Yi is "rehabilitated", but he is still idle, this large-scale promotion of military ranks, Long Qian had the idea of giving Zhou Yi a general, Feng Guozhu also agreed, but was opposed by the Organization Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense in charge of military ranks, thinking that Zhou Yi had no merit in the post of dean of the logistics college, and could not break the rules, because Long Qian did not insist on his own opinion, the matter was abandoned.

Taking the current large units as an example, the defense minister, chief of the general staff, and the commander of the expeditionary force all came from the Southern Army, and the generals of the Southern Army system also occupy the throne of commander of the three major military regions, namely, the Southwest Military Region, the Garrison Region, and the Northern Military Region. The Shandong Army occupied the southeast and central military regions, and the naval commander was also from the Shandong Army. Although the generals of the Northern Army only have the post of commander of the Northwest Military Region, the commander of the Air Force is from the Northern Army, and the most of the officers in charge of the second-level departments of the General Staff Department and the Ministry of National Defense are from the Northern Army......

It's not interesting to think about these things that don't put them on the table. The thinking of the superior is not understandable below, and if you don't get to that position, you won't understand their mindset. Wang Mingyuan believes that the so-called mountain is not enough to worry about, it is a fact, but it is in the past tense, with the conscious integration of personnel since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the mountain problem is being solved. But Long Qian doesn't think so, he prefers to believe that the mountain still exists. But it's not a big deal, at least not a problem for him.

There are two tendencies that make Long Qian worry about the elders, one is that some people are arrogant and lawless because they are self-assured. The second is that some people do not want to forge ahead, and they can no longer keep up with the rapid development of the form. After the end of the European war, it is certain that the country's focus will shift back to domestic affairs. Those generals who advocated taking the opportunity to solve the problems left over from South Manchuria were criticized by Long Qian, such as Cheng Erhu, who was transferred by Long Qian from the Northern Military Region and sent to the Russian front. The South Manchurian problem is definitely to be solved, but not now. The South Manchurian question is not an internal issue, but an international issue. Just like Hong Kong, Macau. China's strong rise had already caused concern among the great powers, and Britain and France could not intervene to restrain China when Germany stood in the way. When Germany falls, Britain will inevitably seek to restore its global hegemony. If China makes a move in South Manchuria, it will not only face Japan, but will probably make China the target of public criticism.

Even Japan should not be taken lightly. According to the research of the intelligence department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after the defeat of Shandong in 1914, the whole of Japan had considerable strength to try their courage. It was an opponent that Long Qian hated and was highly wary of, and there was no other person in the entire army in the country who maintained such a high level of vigilance against Japan, including those who had studied in Japan and those who specialized in Japan. They all believe that China has surpassed Japan in an all-round way. Within the Army, not only the South Manchurian Railway and the Lushun issue were raised, but even the Korean question was raised. I think it's time for a complete liquidation with Japan.

The Navy does not stop. Stimulated by the army's great victory, it has always demanded a large-scale increase in surface ships, especially large-tonnage ships, with the goal of catching up with and surpassing Japan, and even raising the slogan of recovering Taiwan's Ryukyu. Long Qian disagreed, knowing that after the end of the war in Europe, he would inevitably face global arms control, and the navy, as an offensive arms, would definitely try to devise a global agreement to control the arms race. Now the Chinese Navy is not in the eyes of others at all. It is not China's business to really come up with a Washington naval agreement. And once China takes action against Japan, it will inevitably involve the smooth implementation of naval arms restrictions, and China will go to the opposite side of the world powers. So. Long Qian has always adopted a serious attitude in naval construction, strengthened the basic construction of the shipbuilding industry and the research of new technologies, increased the number of naval schools of various types, and intensified the training of the navy. However, the number of ships in active service has rarely been increased. Including the submarine force, which played a major role in the Sino-Japanese War in 1914, there were only four new submarines in service in recent years.

Long Qian has been giving a briefing recently, warning that the focus of his work will be completely shifted to the construction of internal affairs. It is not only necessary to launch the second five-year plan for economic construction, but also to solve the problems exposed by the system and mechanism. When our country basically solves its internal affairs problems, external disputes and problems left over from history will be no problem. Long Qian asserted that the end of the war in Europe would bring at least twenty years of peace. The past 20 years have been very precious for China, and we must concentrate our efforts on doing a good job in internal affairs. The framework of the national system will be truly established, and the national quality will be improved by a big step. Let China's per capita economic indicators catch up with and surpass those of moderately developed countries, and some indicators will reach the point of leading. This view was endorsed by the Council and the parliamentary system, but not by the military. Therefore, Long Qian warned the elders of the army, first, to recognize the form shì, keep up with the form shì, and not passively eliminate themselves. Second, we must be modest and prudent, cherish honor, and abide by the law. The Ministry of Supervision, the State Security Administration, and the Supervision Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense have all found clues about a number of corruption cases involving the military, and the amount of money is very large, and the case is still under secret investigation, and the facts of the cases have not been made public. But Long Qian expressed his attitude towards Cao Minzhong, no matter who is involved, I will not protect it, once it is verified, I will arrest and kill if I should be killed...... However, it is easier said than done, and at a time when nearly one million troops are still fighting abroad, he must consider whether it is appropriate to grasp major cases within the army.

There is also a question of Huayuan Zhongxing's stake in the army's pending affairs. Its origin is the huge amount of money obtained by fire robbery in 1900, which is the foundation of the Mengshan Army, without that money, the Mengshan Army will not set up its own business, and there is no capital to wrestle with the Qing court. Huayuan Zhongxing is now a behemoth, and its total assets are already astronomical, including the two major overseas industrial groups. According to the agreement at that time, most of its shares belonged to the Mengshan Army veteran group. The problem arises when these conglomerates make more than 100 million dollars a year. How many people can be tempted by such a huge amount of wealth? It is inappropriate to assign these two huge enterprises, which are very important in Shandong and have served as "industrial machines" in China, to a few hundred private individuals, because that would not only go against their original intentions, but also severely damage the people's will and the prestige of the government. But it is certainly not appropriate to simply nationalize it, because you are dealing with a group with enormous power, and it is not good for the congregation to betray their relatives!

But this problem cannot be left to the successor, and must be solved by the initiator himself. Now even Chen Shu is thinking about that huge amount of money, how can others not worry about it? Manager Song Jinguo has mentioned this matter many times, hoping to solve this legacy problem, Lao Song must have encountered great pressure, but he is not easy to say, it is not good to confess the actual pressure to his case......

There's no one who doesn't like money. Those who ignore wealth generally have higher aspirations, either power or ideals. How many of the people rolling in the red dust are idealists who transcend reality?

Regret not being dealt with sooner. But the situation really didn't allow it at the time. It is already a miracle that the officers and men of the Mengshan Army, who have gone through the reorganization of the Mengshan army, have been able to keep the secret of this huge wealth until the founding of the country, and they really deserve to enjoy its fruits, especially the descendants of the martyrs who died before the founding of the country......

The final problem of state affairs is one's own "afterlife". Recently, the call for constitutional amendment has been increasing, and he has been silent. He wanted to see the reactions of all sides, nothing more than support, opposition and silence, and he did not consider the attitudes of the people. He focused on the attitudes of senior officials. At present, only a very small number of people have made their views clear, except for Chen Chao, Song Jiaoren, Liang Qichao, Duan Qirui and others. No one openly opposed the constitutional amendment. It is clear to everyone that the purpose of the constitutional amendment is to amend the provision in the current constitution that the president cannot serve more than two terms, so as to remove obstacles to his re-election. Chen Chao is for his good, and Song, Liang, Duan and others have their own considerations, but he doesn't think that these open opposition to constitutional amendment (in fact, opposition to his re-election as president) is against him, and public opposition cannot be said to be a conspiracy, he prefers these people's down-to-earth minds. Probably most of those who are in favor of him wholeheartedly support him to continue his work. They think that they cannot retreat, and that once they retreat, the country will be in chaos. But there must be some people speculating, such as Yang Huizi, who has been very active recently. Even Wang Zhaoming, who was released early and re-entered the political circles and was gradually showing his edge, also advocated constitutional amendment, and Long Qian certainly did not think that Wang Zhaoming, who had plotted to assassinate him, had become a "dragon faction". Those who are not angry are obviously opposed to their re-election, but they are embarrassed to openly express their opposition.

His attitude on this issue is firm. I will never be re-elected for a third term!

I've read a lot of books over the years. Including those who have read in another time and space, they have a deep understanding of China's extremely stubborn feudal ideology that they have never had before: never think about prescribing how future generations should think and how to live, and always believe that future generations are wiser than their predecessors. They will find a smarter way, and they will govern the country better. My decision is not to evade responsibility, but to introspect and take care of myself, but also for the sake of the name behind me.

But he can't ignore the succession, and it is foolish and irresponsible for the country to hand over the next president to the Senate for a decision.

Presently. There are only three successors in Long Qian's mind, Fang Shengyuan, Hong Yuecheng and Wang Mingyuan. Each of the three has its own strengths and weaknesses. As far as the economy is concerned, Fang Shengyuan has the most advantage, he has made remarkable achievements in the post of premier of the Government Council, and a large part of the achievements made in the country's economic construction must be recorded on Fang's head. Fang is also familiar with diplomacy, and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, he has made many missions to foreign countries, and his international reputation is higher than that of Hong and Wang. In terms of the country's shift of focus to domestic affairs, Fang Shengyuan's advantage is even more obvious. Hong Yuecheng's strength lies in his understanding of the institutional structure of state politics much stronger than others, and the political structure that has been initially laid down is more from the hands of Hong. His understanding of the political party is even stronger than that of Song Jiaoren, and the parliament has increasingly become an important force to restrain the government, not because of Chen Chao, let alone anyone else, but Hong Yuecheng, who has always controlled the Senate. Moreover, Hong Yuecheng has a clear understanding of China's national conditions, does not stick to the existing experience of foreign countries, and can always find a suitable way to deal with it that satisfies Long Qian. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially Long Qian's second term, the Senate led by Hong Yuecheng has become Long Qian's very effective arm. Wang Mingyuan's strength lies in the army, not in Long Qian's trust in him, but in his honesty and self-denial. He has the best reputation among the senior generals of the Mengshan Army, and his ability to manage the army and fight the war is not first-class, but he is deeply supported by the army because of his fairness and honesty. The reason why Long Qian transferred him back to the Ministry of Defense again was because he valued Wang's ability to not only abide by the rules, but also to understand his own heart. Wang Mingyuan's proposal for the transfer, appointment, and dismissal of senior generals has always won Long Qian's heart. Over the years, the Wang clan has devoted himself to eliminating military factions and strengthening military management in peacetime, and has achieved remarkable results, and ordinary people cannot see his merits, and only the highest levels of the army can understand Wang Mingyuan's weight.

There are shortcomings. Fang's emphasis on the inside rather than the outside, always holding the old concept of "China is at peace, and the four are self-serving", and has quite a lot of criticism about Long Qian's radical foreign policy. Moreover, the Fang clan was quite wary of the Manchu nobility, the Kuomintang and even the Beiyang faction, which reflected the limited pattern of the Fang clan. Fang did this, but he was not recognized by the Wehrmacht, and the army became less and less interested in him, and always felt that he was restricting the development of the army. Hong's shortcomings lie in the economy, he doesn't even have any experience in the government, and his influence in the army is not as good as Fang's. Wang Mingyuan's shortcoming is that he has entered politics, he has never asked about the work of the government, and he seems to be indifferent to economic construction......

Others are not qualified. In recent years, a group of young talents have emerged, they have risen to prominence after the founding of the People's Republic of China, many of them have overseas study experience, broad knowledge, vision, ambition and no servility, but they need to be honed, and now they cannot take on great responsibilities.

Therefore, Long Qian must consider an urgent issue, and that is the prestige of his successor. If we do not solve this problem, once we leave office, there will inevitably be constant disputes in the center, and we will not be able to resolve them, which is by no means a good thing for a big country that is struggling to move forward...... Therefore, he must do his best to determine the position of "prince" and let the "prince" stand more in the foreground, otherwise he will not be able to enjoy the civilian life he hopes for with peace of mind......

Long Qian hopes for a situation in which the power structure of the state is dominated by the government; Parliament legislates and supervises the government; The armed forces are not allowed to intervene in the political situation unless they encounter internal strife, and they play the role of ultimately deciding the political situation. In this way, you can roughly choose your successor. From now on, we have to do this, and we have to do it. It seems that it is time to talk to some people and try to unify opinions and understanding the overall situation as much as possible at the top level......

Finally, there are international issues. Although China has become the biggest variable, the European war seems to have followed the trajectory of history to an end. Perhaps the four-year period is a limit, and even a powerful country with a deep foundation will drain its essence and blood. It is certain that the post-war issue will be resolved, and whether the Paris Peace Conference will be held or not is not certain. It is estimated that Britain and France will still take the road of squeezing Germany, and it will be very difficult for the United States to take advantage of the opportunity to gain world leadership. China's policy is to resolutely support the United States, put the United States in front of Britain and France, and at the same time adopt a tolerant and conciliatory attitude toward Germany and do not seek any territorial rights and interests, including Japan. I have got everything I should take, and no matter what others think, I have already taken the opportunity of the European war to lay the foundation for China's development. The next issue is the withdrawal of the expeditionary force, Feng Guozhu and Xiong Xun advocated another military blow to the Brux, but Situ Jun and Wang Mingyuan thought that it was almost over, the issue of the expeditionary force would inevitably be raised at the post-war international conference, and the Kolchak government would be supported, the expeditionary force would be withdrawn, and Russia would be divided for a long time, and in another twenty years, China's strength would be enough to dominate Asia and influence the world! The issues of Taiwan, the Ryukyus, and South Manchuria, and Korea will be completely resolved in the next world war, but then I will be a bystander...... It doesn't matter, everyone has their own mission, and in another four years, their mission will be accomplished. Despite the best estimates, the hardships of sitting in this chair far outweighed the joy. It's been almost ten years, and as the supreme leader of the country, he has sacrificed almost all of his freedom, and for his family and friends, and for himself, he deserves to be compensated.

Long Qian stood in front of the window of the study for a long time, and did not come to his senses until Chen Shu shouted that it was time to eat. Time is always pitiful for countless complicated affairs, and every time I think of moving out of this prison-like presidential palace, my mood will be cheerful. (To be continued......)