After arriving in Kaifeng, the captured bandits were transferred to the local prison for temporary detention, and for some of them, the investigation team meant that they would be released immediately, while other slightly more serious criminals were interrogated and imprisoned.

Unexpectedly, those who were released were unwilling to leave, and hundreds of them came to the residence of the investigation team, knelt on the ground in unison, and begged Lord Qingtian to make their decisions.

Chen Liewen had a headache for a while, he wanted to ask Nanjing, but after picking up the phone, he was stopped by Jiang Jingguo.

Jiang Jingguo said: "There are too many things in Nanjing, so there is no need to bother them with this little thing." I see that if these people have appeals, we will compile them into a book and report them to Nanjing together. ”

Chen Liewen thought so, so the group began to prepare to accept the lawsuit.

For a whole day, they mobilized all the members of the investigation team, and it took thousands of sheets of paper to record the proceedings they needed. When receiving these case files, each member of the investigation team was deeply shocked, and the cases they were suing were much the same, nothing more than conflicts between the people and the local government or the security forces, but the course of these conflicts was outrageous. Some of the security guards looted in the name of collecting grain, and they even took a fancy to some girls and even abducted and sold them in kilns for military rations.

After hearing this, Chen Liewen, Jiang Jingguo, and even all the people in the investigation team couldn't calm down for a long time, it has been so many years since the Republic of China, and such a horrific thing is still happening in broad daylight, no wonder the local people want to be bandits? Isn't this forcing the people to help the Japanese?

Chen Liewen said to Chiang Ching-kuo: "This is similar to the information provided by the pre-cadre department, there are indeed Japanese spies who have infiltrated and incited, and the * of this incident is that the government forcibly expropriated military rations. ”

Chiang Ching-kuo nodded, and he asked puzzledly: "Why didn't Chairman Li report the disaster, but continued to collect military rations?" Of course, there is the responsibility of the security forces, but why didn't he state the truth to the central government before the security forces collected it? ”

Chen Liewen also didn't understand this, which was inconsistent with their impression of Chairman Li.

However, an older member of the investigation team broke through the mystery after hearing this, and he said with a smile: "This levy of military rations is actually an assessment of local officials, and Chairman Li will naturally not report it for the sake of his own position." I think that when the security army came, the matter went too far, but he didn't want to report it and said that he was making trouble and slapped himself in the face, so he simply didn't ask, anyway, he found out that the security army accounted for the majority. ”

In this way, everyone also understood.

"So many people starved to death for their black gauze hats!" Chen Liewen angrily slammed his fist on the table.

Jiang Jingguo came over and said: "Don't be angry, Lin Zexu wrote 'control anger' when he entered Guangdong to ban smoking, and we must also write these two words today." ”

When it was almost time to tidy up in the evening, Chen Liewen and Chiang Ching-kuo discussed and took out some money from their private pockets to send some travel expenses to these released people. Chiang Ching-kuo immediately agreed, but the two of them did not have much cash on them, so they had to raise money from everyone. The members of the investigation team also agreed that everyone finally scraped together a few hundred dollars, so that everyone who went home received an average of two dollars.

In the evening, Chen Liewen said that it was too late, so everyone was crowded into the courtyard where the investigation team was staying to rest and wait until the next day.

The released people also walked in, looking for a place to sleep in twos and threes. Early the next morning, Chen Liewen and the others just woke up and found that these people had disappeared, he and Jiang Jingguo were very panicked, but when they arrived at the door, they found that these people were already kneeling at the door.

Seeing the people of the investigation team come out, an older man led by him shouted in a Henan accent: "Thank you, Lord Qingtian!" ”

After speaking, more than 100 people behind knelt down and kowtowed, and there were words in their mouths.

The members of the investigation team hurriedly stepped forward to help, but these people insisted on bowing three times and bowing nine times, and after the salute, they began to leave separately.

Chen Liewen looked at the backs of those who left and said: "It seems that the concept of the Republic of China has not yet taken root in the hearts of the people, and the people are still looking forward to 'Ming Jun, Qing officials and chivalrous people' in their hearts." ”

Chiang Ching-kuo said: "In this way, we need to work harder." ”

……

When the investigation team was investigating the robbery of the military train, the northeast battlefield was defeated and retreated due to a lack of weapons and equipment. The military towns of Liaoyang, Shenyang, and Siping fell into the hands of the Japanese army one after another, and hundreds of thousands of troops of the Kwantung Army rushed to the front line of Jinzhou with a rolling torrent. At this time, the troops holding the second line of defense in Jinzhou became crucial.

The Kwantung Army began to attack in two directions, one from Yingkou to the west to attack Jinzhou, and the other to the north, besieging Changchun. Zhang Xueliang led his troops to divide into two routes, one was transferred to the north and continued to organize resistance on the Changchun line, and the other was turned south and withdrew to the Jinzhou line. At this time, Lin Zuoda's Fifth Army was stationed on the front line of Jinzhou to build a steel defense line, which was the second line of defense in the northeast.

In the Jinzhou Front General Command Headquarters, the thin Lin Zuo Dazheng shook hands with Zhang Xueliang and his entourage. Zhang Xueliang and others had just led their troops to Jinzhou, and not long ago they had lost most of their troops in the first battle of Shenyang, and he led his troops to Jinzhou in an irretrievable situation.

"It's been a hard journey, Commander Zhang." Lin Zuo shook hands and said.

Zhang Xueliang smiled reluctantly: "One line of defense is not good now, and we have to count on two lines of defense next." ”

"Okay, let's not talk too much, let's take a look at the enemy situation first. The Kwantung Army is menacing. In front of the command post, after the curtain of a wall was opened, a large-scale map of the Northeast region was presented in front of everyone.

"Chief of Staff, tell me about the current situation." Lin Zuoda sat down on the top without humility and said to his chief of staff.

Inadvertently, everyone realized at this time that the command of the Northeast Theater had now been transferred from Zhang Xueliang's hands to Lin Zuoda's hands. Zhang Xueliang also seemed to realize this, and he had to sit next to the chairman's seat.

It is undeniable that Lin Zuoda now has absolute strength, and he has more than 100,000 mechanized troops under his command, with the Fifth Group Army as the main force, and can also mobilize and command more than 200 fighters of the air force stationed in Jinzhou and other places, all of which are incomparable with Zhang Xueliang's remnants of the 11th and 18th armies. What's more, the current Zhang Xueliang said that the ugly thing is that he belongs to the general of the defeated army, and so many places in the northeast have been lost, and he knows that the spearhead of public opinion in the whole country is now pointing at him, saying that he is the first of the three major battlefields to be comprehensively defeated, and some newspapers even openly suggest that the Northeast Theater change the commander......

Although this taste is not pleasant, Zhang Xueliang has to accept it.

Lin Zuoda didn't seem to notice the change in his heart, and the bespectacled staff officer took out a long command pole to introduce the battle situation on the map: "The elite of the Japanese army has approached from the direction of Yingkou, and its troops are composed of the 23rd Division, the 7th Division, the 1st Tank Division of the Army Armored Corps, and the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 15th Brigades of the Army Aviation Corps, with a total strength of about 100,000. In addition, the Japanese Navy stationed in Lushun also cruised in the waters of the Bohai Sea in a task force composed of cruisers and destroyers, and now the shipping route in the Bohai Sea has been blocked. ”

Lin Zuo pondered a lot, and after a moment he asked, "How are the shore artillery units preparing?" Can you guarantee that the Japanese Navy will not dock? ”

"Shore artillery can ensure that the Japanese navy is 30 nautical miles away, but the Japanese naval guns have a longer range than our shore guns, and I am afraid it is not appropriate to rely on shore artillery alone." A chubby officer then asked.

"Is it possible to mobilize air force fighters to attack the Japanese navy?" A staff officer sitting at the end of the seat suggested.

After hearing this, an air force general on the other side of the table shook his head and said: "The air force troops stationed in Jinzhou are only barely maintaining air supremacy on the land surface, and if they are mobilized to the sea surface, it will not be effective if there is less of it, and the air defense of the more land surface will be affected." ”

Everyone was arguing, Zhang Xueliang wanted to interject and lock a few words, but he wanted to stop talking, he had experienced this kind of scene, when the old man was killed by the Japanese, and Yang Yuting monopolized power, this was the scene, and later Yang Yuting's domineering and domineering also made him move to kill, but now he can't go to Lin Zuoda......

Zhang Xueliang slowly stood up and said, "I'll go out for a walk first, the bumpy body is uncomfortable on this road." ”

After hearing this, Lin Zuo nodded and said, "Commander Zhang, go slowly!" ”

As he spoke, Zhang Xueliang waved his hand and walked out with the guards, and the sound of arguing and discussion behind him sounded again, Zhang Xueliang squinted his eyes and looked up at the warm sun overhead, with a helpless smile on his face.

"Young marshal, have a call for you?" Guard Tan Hai walked over and said.

Zhang Xueliang came back to his senses, and he asked, "Do you know who it is?" ”

Tan Hai shook his head: "It was the person from Jinzhou's former communications class who reported for duty, and said that he was calling from Nanjing, but he didn't say the specific name?" ”

"Got it, say I'll go over now." Zhang Xueliang helped the military hat on his head and walked over quickly. After taking the earpiece, he said lightly: "I'm Zhang Xueliang, who are you?" ”

"Han Qing, have you arrived in Jinzhou?" Huang Ke's voice came from the other end of the phone.

Zhang Xueliang hurriedly raised his tone, and couldn't help but stand upright: "Hello sir, yes!" It's already here, it's in the morning. Yes, now Yu Xuezhong took part of the Eleventh Army to Changchun to station. ”

Huang Ke said here: "Han Qing, I have worked hard for you, and the weapons I promised you to supply are not all in place, I am here to apologize to you and the Northeast Father!" ”

"Sir, don't say that, I've heard about the military don't rob." Zhang Xueliang said.

Huang Ke changed his hearty tone and said, "How is it?" In Jinzhou, Lin Zuoda, that kid didn't bully you, right? In this way, you withdraw the troops to the rear to repair for a period of time, and when the counterattack comes, I will appoint you as the commander-in-chief, and now the second line of defense is Lin Zuoda's Fifth Army, and it is not very good to be handsome in the battle, and I hope you can understand me. ”

Zhang Xueliang's heartfelt words made Zhang Xueliang's mood complicated, it seemed that the central government had decided to remove him from the post of commander-in-chief of the Northeast Theater, he sorted out his emotions and asked: "Then where will I withdraw next?" ”

"Mongolia!" Huang Ke replied heartily.

"Mongolia?" Zhang Xueliang asked.

"Yes, the Mongols have stabilized a lot since Batu led his troops to quell the prince's rebellion; A few days ago, I had a telephone conversation with Marshal Stalin of the Soviet Union, and China and the Soviet Union reached some agreements, including the Soviet Union's support for our weapons and ammunition, one in Lanzhou and the other in Mongolia. Now that it has become our staunch rear, you and your troops will get the new equipment and training there, and when it comes time to counterattack, you must take the lead! ”

Zhang Xueliang couldn't help but feel excited after hearing this, and he replied loudly: "Yes!" ”