Chapter 32 Chiang Kai-shek finally got on the "GEM"

Seeing that the fruits of victory were being stolen like this, Chiang Kai-shek tasted the bitter taste, learned from the pain, and made a deep reflection.In order to return to the center of China's political arena, it is necessary to win the financial support of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols who control China's financial power.Although Wang Jingwei and Li Zongren succeeded for a while, he is convinced that only he has the strength and skill to aspire to the Central Plains. Sooner or later, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols will recognize who is the real "true son of fate" in China's future.The most urgent task is to regain the recognition of the "capital market" and find a way to reapply for the "IPO".

The key to gaining the support of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols is to dispel their doubts and make them agree with Chiang Kai-shek as "one of their own" from the bottom of their hearts. The best way to do this is to marry, and make themselves and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols close by marriage. Tightly tied together.He was going to launch an offensive, an offensive to win the hearts of beauties, which would have as much strategic value as any real war. His goal is Song Meiling. At that time, Ni Guizhen, the old wife of the Song family, was recuperating in Japan. In order to pursue Song Meiling, Chiang Kai-shek went to Japan on September 28 and obtained the consent of Mrs. Song to marry Song Meiling.In this way, he was related by marriage to Sun Yat-sen (Song Qingling), Song Ziwen and Kong Xiangxi (Song Ailing).The Song family has very close ties with the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols and the Chinese big comprador class that represents the interests of international bankers in China.

Xi Debing, the grandson of Xi Zhengfu, a big comprador family in Shanghai, was Song Ziwen’s classmate when he was studying in the United States. His elder brother Xi Demao married his daughter to Song Ziliang, Song Ziwen’s younger brother. Large holdings in commercial savings banks. The Song family themselves made their fortune as Chinese compradors with American capital.The founder of the Song family, Song Jiashu, grew up in the United States and received a complete American church education. He is a devout Christian.Several brothers and sisters of the Song family all graduated from American universities, and Song Ziwen himself worked in a Wall Street commercial bank after graduating from Columbia University.Song Ailing's husband, Kong Xiangxi, was also educated in the United States and used to be the general agent of Mobil Oil Company in North China.This family is genuinely inextricably linked with American capital.As for the marriage between Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling, the headline on the banner of the political marriage reported by the Chinese media at that time was accurate, "Jiang Song's marriage, 'Sino-US' cooperation" (Jiang Zhongzheng, Song Meiling).

This is the perfect combination of Chinese compradors and military dictators. While Chiang Kai-shek was busy injecting "new assets", the new national government after the "combination of Ning and Han" was almost overwhelmed. Sun Ke, the finance minister of the new government and the leader of the "Prince Faction" in the Kuomintang, did not have the fundraising ability of Chiang Kai-shek. When Chiang Kai-shek was in office, his monthly budget was 20 million silver dollars, and Sun Ke was completely unable to raise this figure.Until October 1927, he only raised 8 million silver dollars, the government was paralyzed, and the army refused to accept orders because they could not receive their pay.In desperation, Sun Ke followed suit. On October 1, he issued the "Jianghai Customs 25th Five-Year Treasury Bond" again. The amount was 10 million more than Chiang Kai-shek's 30 million silver dollars, reaching a huge 40 million silver dollars!

In order to mobilize the chaebols in Jiangsu and Zhejiang to subscribe for their bonds, Sun Ke also called Yu Qiaqing and other financial leaders to a meeting to mobilize everyone to subscribe, but the response was flat.From April 1, 1927 to July 16, 1927, the Shanghai bank loaned Chiang Kai-shek 5.6 million silver dollars. However, when Sun Ke asked the Shanghai bank to subscribe for 500,000 silver dollars in 25-year tax-paid treasury bonds on October 26, only 340,000 silver dollars [27]. Without the support of the chaebols in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the new government would have been virtually unsustainable.

At this time, the chaebols in Jiangsu and Zhejiang were already quite disappointed with the executive power of Wang Jingwei, Sun Ke, and Li Zongren. Can these people beat the northern warlords?The bosses began to wait and see, maybe Chiang Kai-shek, who became a "family" with them, would be more qualified for the task of unifying the rivers and lakes. Soon, the troops of Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi from the Guangxi faction within the new government broke out a civil war for power struggle with Tang Shengzhi's Xiang army. At this time, the pro-Chiang forces in the Kuomintang took the opportunity to ask Chiang Kai-shek to return to power to clean up the mess. The Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols already regarded Chiang Kai-shek as an insider, and they were also confident that through the last "capital reorganization", Chiang Kai-shek should have received enough attention. Lesson learned, he should be on the road.

So, on January 4, 1928, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Nanjing from Shanghai to preside over the overall situation. On January 9, Chiang Kai-shek officially assumed the post of "Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Army" across the country, and then served as the chairman of the Military Commission and the chairman of the KMT Central Political Conference. Only 116 days have passed since he stepped down from the field and returned to power. The 40 million silver dollar government bonds that Wang Jingwei’s government tried their best to sell could not be sold. As soon as Chiang Kai-shek came to power, under the overall arrangement of Song Ziwen, Minister of Finance and Governor of the Central Bank, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols quickly subscribed.With the renewed support of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols, Chiang Kai-shek finally secured his position this time.In return, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang chaebols also counted on Chiang Kai-shek to do their best to serve them.

Yet they forgot the nature of a military dictator.This kind of person will never be willing to be controlled by others. He must find ways to control any person or organization that wants to control him.Cromwell was like this, Napoleon was like this, Hitler was like this, and Chiang Kai-shek was no exception. For the time being, however, Chiang Kai-shek had to rely on the banker's pocketbook.For Chiang Kai-shek was facing resistance from his most vexing enemies, the Communists whom he had tried his best to eradicate. Not long after the "April 12" coup, the Communists who were bloodied by Chiang Kai-shek's butcher knife also began to take up arms.

On August 1, 1927, the Communists revolted in Nanchang.Chiang Kai-shek's nightmare kicked off.