Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Where is my other shore

Time has to be pushed back to more than half a year ago. There is a person who is wandering the streets of a foreign country. He used to be such a handsome and shrewd person, but now his thoughts are in confusion. He still can't forget those people in that place, so that he often can't extricate himself. What I have done, is it right or wrong, why am I here, who can give me an answer? No one could give him an answer, so he was in great pain, and the sight of the foreign land, both real and illusory, aggravated the pain. This person is the long-lost Xiao Zhenying. Although he was forced to go abroad that year, while others were away, his heart never left Peiping, the 29th Army, or those brothers who lived and died with each other day and night.

Returning to China again was because the news of the "July 7th Incident" had spread overseas. After learning that there might be a major change in North China, Xiao Zhenying rushed home starry night. When the country was in crisis, it was the time to employ people, and he was immediately appointed by Chiang Kai-shek as the Chief Counselor of the First War Zone. But Xiao Zhenying was not happy, because he had heard all kinds of bad news on the way, and the one that shocked him the most was the death of Zhao Dengyu and the withdrawal of the 29th Army from Beiping. What is all this for? Why did such a big mess happen just after I left?

The first thing Xiao Zhenying did after arriving in North China was to visit Song Zheyuan. Due to the withdrawal of the Sixth War Zone, Song Zheyuan's 1st Army Group merged into Cheng Qian's First War Zone. Although the two were already in the same theater, Song Zheyuan was reluctant to come out to see Xiao Zhenying. The reason is not difficult to imagine, he was the one who drove the other party out of the country back then, if Xiao Zhenying left, he did a good job and it was justified, but he was beaten like a chicken, and even lost Pingjin, what do you say when you meet like this?

Seeing this, Qin Dechun, Zhang Weifan and others urged Song Zheyuan to put on airs and not see him before, but now he must see him. Without him, his status is different. Xiao is no longer the former General Counselor of the 29th Army. He has transformed himself into the Chief Counselor of the First War Zone. Chiang Kai-shek’s celebrity and military adviser, and our immediate boss, can you see us? ? Why didn't Song Zheyuan understand, so no matter how reluctant he was, he had no choice but to come out to meet each other reluctantly. As soon as the two met, Song Zheyuan found that the original worry was superfluous, and the other party didn't mean to gloat or add insult to injury.

Brothers are still brothers, no matter how much status and circumstances have changed. Holding hands together, the tears on both sides could not stop streaming down. After Song Zheyuan escaped from Peiping, he fell into an abyss of pain.In the requesting telegram sent to Chiang Kai-shek at that time, he claimed that he let Zhang Zizhong stay in Beiping to take charge of the peace negotiations. This sentence was actually against his will, but he had to say that. Can he tell the whole story of that day? That's a self-exposed family ugliness.Others may be able to, but Song Zheyuan will never be able to. He has maintained this self-esteem that belongs to him until his death.

However, if you don't talk about it, all the consequences will be borne by yourself.Song Zheyuan knew very well that what Chiang Kai-shek wanted at the beginning was to defend Beiping, not to ask him to engage in any peace talks.Peiping was lost, but the task was not completed. So he repeatedly asked Chiang Kai-shek to punish him. Of course, he also knew that Chiang Kai-shek might not really punish him.After all, he is still the leader of the 29th Army. In the old army system, such "self-invited punishment" was often superficial. But this did not ease his pain. The actual situation is that the withdrawal from Peiping not only caused him to lose North China, but also seriously challenged his own authority and self-confidence in the army.

Not to mention, Zhao Dengyu's sudden sacrifice and Zhang Zizhong's sudden betrayal, they were both his subordinates and brothers. Song Zheyuan's heart seemed to have been swept away by a storm. He is introverted, usually very serious, not very talkative.Someone made a joke with him, after he listened to it, not only did he not laugh, but he also warned the other person very seriously, saying that this time it is fine, and if you do it again next time, I will be sorry for you. Since quitting Beiping, Song Zheyuan became even less talkative. He was dull and silent all day long, thinking about his own thoughts, and often even behaved insanely.

The moment he saw Xiao Zhenying, Song Zheyuan was finally released emotionally. Such a dramatic change, he said, was unexpected. I left Peiping not because I wanted to leave, but because Xi Chen (Zhang Zizhong) suddenly came to Peiping and threatened me to leave. I really had no choice but to leave quickly. In the end, Song Zheyuan sighed, turned to Xiao Zhenying with red eyes, and seemed to say to himself: How can you be so indifferent? We are all brothers, as for doing such a terrific thing? Xiao Zhenying heard the pain, he knew that Song Zheyuan was not lying.Later, what Qin Dechun said was exactly the same as Song Zheyuan.

From Xiao Zhenying's heart, he still wants to stay, even if he is to be the General Councilor of the 29th Army again.After all, he is full of affection for everyone and everything here, and he can help the 29th Army plan its operations, make this army comeback, and even regain its reputation in the War of Resistance. However, he also knew that none of this was possible. Things are people, not everything.Now, not to mention that Song Zheyuan's self-esteem does not allow it, only Qin Dechun and others look at him in a strange way, and the meaning is clearly there: as long as your surname is Xiao, we can't do anything if we leave you, right?

This place no longer belongs to him.But he knew that he had to make every possible effort to save those people and things within his reach. Zhang Zizhong was going to Jinan, now that he was known as a traitor, everyone would avoid him, but Xiao Zhenying made up his mind to meet him. I believe that he must be deceived. As a brother, I cannot abandon him. The road to Jinan is not so easy, not only because the road is muddy in rainy days, but also because all the past memories come to mind in an instant. In the torrential rain, Zhao Dengyu, who was once extremely brave, disappeared, while Zhang Zizhong, who was once both wise and brave, was blurred and unrecognizable.

Everything seems to have returned to the past. In the past days, how difficult and difficult it was in the early days of the 29th Army, but no matter how difficult it was, the brothers would hug each other tightly in the dark, walking forward shoulder to shoulder . The most memorable thing for people is always the past, the past that was both sad and warm. Now, it can no longer be repeated. Zhang Zizhong is also walking on this road, but compared with when he was in Beijing, he is a different person. Wearing a dark gray cotton robe and carrying a small wooden box, he looked like a barber. He was so downcast that he was almost indistinguishable from the refugees around him. The people in the rear had already listed "Zhang Papi" as the number one traitor. Some people called him Qin Hui's reincarnation, and some said that this fellow, whose surname was Zhang, was originally a descendant of Zhang Bangchang, and that traitorousness was an ancestral inheritance.According to folk rumors, Zhang Zizhong's own brother was also ashamed and humiliated when he heard it, and he stayed behind closed doors for several days. Even so, the gate was still covered with "traitor for glory" and "recognize a thief as father" in a mess. slogan. At this time, Zhang Zizhong regretted his mistake at the beginning, and he really felt that he was in pain.He told his friends that he seemed to be fascinated by ghosts when he was in Pingjin, and he was so confused that he didn't know what he had done. All along the route belonged to the territory of the Lu Army. Back then, Zhang Zizhong was the head of the cadet regiment in the old Northwest Army. Many officers of the Lu Army came from his sect. According to the customs of the old army, no matter what crimes the old chief committed, his subordinates should go to visit him. . But not many people are willing to go. It's such a time, who would buy a traitor's account. In this world, there are always people who are soft-hearted or considerate, but looking at it, they are just reminiscing about the past, basically talking about the old Northwest Army's rotten sesame seeds. As for the past in Peiping, have there been any, I don’t know. After a few days, Zhang Zizhong couldn't even enjoy this poor treatment.He wanted to find Han Fuju when he was passing through Jinan. After all, he was an old veteran of the Northwest Army. He didn't look at the monk's face to see the Buddha's face. When he was in trouble, he could always help him with a few words. But when others informed him, Han Fuju said angrily: What are you doing with the traitor? I have nothing to talk to him about! Pop, the phone hung up. Seeing this scene, no one dared to report on his behalf. What's more, Zhang Zizhong, an old subordinate of the Xuebing Corps, turned the steering wheel with the wind and sneered face to face: I saw you read all the books of sages before, but what did you learn from them? The national conditions of our country are that if a person is "heinous", it seems that everyone has the right to stand on the moral high ground and give cynicism. As soon as Zhang Zizhong was guilty, he didn't want to say much, but he was also enraged at this time, and he couldn't help shouting: Zhang should be smashed to pieces, and the facts will straighten the world! The fact is that since then, Zhang Zizhong's temporary residence has become even more deserted, and not even a ghost has appeared in front of him. When you are almost abandoned by the whole world, that heart is really colder than ice in the severe cold weather of March and September. At this time, Zhang Zizhong is in a dilemma, and the feeling is really difficult. Let's go, it's not a problem to stay here for a long time.In view of the fact that all the people who had received him were hiding, Zhang Zizhong had no choice but to leave without saying goodbye, and left a note on the table, saying: I am eager to go to the aid, and I have no time to say goodbye. Going to Ji doesn't necessarily mean meeting Han Fuju, it's obvious that the other party isn't friends enough, and he doesn't even want to meet. Like wandering in the dark night, who can tell me what fate awaits me ahead? I'm afraid I really can only stand upright in the military court and wait for the verdict. Of course, you can also sneak away. It’s really not good to hide in the enemy-occupied areas or simply go abroad. Who can follow your ass and catch people in chaos, but Zhang Zizhong knows very well that if he does this, his life will be completely ruined. Lost. Although he was confused and made mistakes, he was still a dignified man of seven feet, how could he be willing to do it. Besides, if I didn't intend to change my mind, how could I have risked all kinds of hardships to sneak out of the enemy-occupied area and go south? However, as the saying goes, everyone pushes against the wall, and everyone beats the drum. At this time, no matter how sincere your attitude is, you will still be greeted with endless blank stares and cold reception. Until he got off the car in Jinan, Zhang Zizhong was still full of despair and desolation. At this moment, a scene he never expected appeared. That person, Xiao Zhenying stood in front of him. The current Zhang Zizhong is not the former Zhang Zizhong, and the current Xiao Zhenying is not the former Xiao Zhenying. For three days in Shibiefang, the distance between the two was already so great: one was a sinner whose life and death were unknown, a suspected traitor who was surrounded by scolding and contempt, and the other was the chief counselor of the First War Zone, a senior officer with the rank of general. sir. What Zhang Zizhong will never forget is that in the process of expelling Xiao, he also had his "credit". Surprise and nervousness, shame and fear appeared alternately on Zhang Zizhong's face, leaving him at a loss as to what to say. After a long time, I finally spit out two words: Brother... Once upon a time, Zhang Zizhong was full of spirits, and this title was thrown out of the sky, replaced by a desperate struggle for that little real benefit! However, everything will eventually pass, the glitz will be gone, and what can remain is the brotherhood. For so long, although Zhang Zizhong's situation has plummeted to the point of being ridiculed by others, he has never shed a tear in front of others, but now he can no longer control it. He hugged Xiao Zhenying and burst into tears: I'm sorry for the group, I'm sorry for big brother (referring to Song Zheyuan)! What Xiao Zhenying wants to know is why you went to Peiping in the first place. Indeed, everyone wants to know, and that has always been a mystery hidden in the minds of many. Zhang Zizhong mentioned a person, Pan Yugui who betrayed the 29th Army. Pan Yugui told me at the time that Song Zheyuan had accepted all the conditions of the Japanese, but the Japanese believed that the army no longer obeyed Song's orders, so they asked me to replace him. That's why I rushed to Peiping to control the situation on his behalf, but I didn't expect the situation to be so serious. evolved into that. What Zhang Zizhong can't say and can't explain is whether he ever had the idea of ​​​​taking over from the Song Dynasty when he was "fascinated by ghosts". Hearing this, Xiao Zhenying, who is as smart as Xiao Zhenying, already understood everything. This is a traitor's conspiracy. Who is Pan Yugui? Can you believe what he says?Song Zheyuan never accepted the conditions of the Japanese, the fault is on you alone. Zhang Zizhong woke up like a dream.How foolish it is to count the money for yourself after being fooled. When he woke up, the mistake was irreparable. If Xiao Zhenying was by his side at that time, maybe he wouldn't be so confused. Zhang Zizhong cried bitterly and said to Xiao Zhenying, my heart is to the world, the sun and the moon, and now I can't argue with it, but please give me a chance to die on the battlefield to confess my confession. At this time, Xiao Zhenying must have secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Zizhong has a pure nature, he was used by others in the past, and lost his way for a while, now that he knows that his mistakes can be corrected, everything can still be turned around. What's more, Xiao Zhenying understands his brother's military talent. It's a troubled time right now, and there is an urgent need for an anti-Japanese general. How could he not cherish this talent for the country. But at the same time, he also knew that what Zhang Zizhong committed was not an ordinary one, and it would be very difficult for things to turn around. At that time, there were two generals of the 29th Army who were about to be punished, besides Zhang Zizhong and Liu Ruming. Zhang Zizhong was punished because of the loss of Pingjin, and Liu Ruming was punished because the latter was the main person responsible for the fall of Zhangjiakou. They are all lost cities and lost ground, but the degrees are very different.Later, the Nanjing government's disciplinary order also stated very clearly that Zhang Zizhong "abandoned responsibility", while Liu Ruming was only "ineffective in fighting the war". However, no matter how difficult it is, Xiao Zhenying will do it. He has no other support now, all he can rely on is his painstaking efforts towards his brothers and friends and his intelligence and wisdom. Before the government's punishment order was issued, Xiao Zhenying hurried to Nanjing to intercede for him in front of the most important person—"Chairman Jiang". This is only one aspect, on the other hand Zhang Zizhong himself has to find a way. Although Xiao Zhenying did not mention it in his memories, it is obvious that from this time on, he has already started to give advice to Zhang Zizhong, teaching him how to do it step by step, otherwise, it is hard to imagine that he was not good at communication and speech Zhang Zizhong, who is good at it, will suddenly look like a different person, pointing to where to hit, and he will hit the point. After Xiao Zhenying left, Zhang Zizhong immediately went to see Han Fuju. This is probably the first person Xiao Zhenying asked him to meet. Although this person has ruthlessly rejected the request to meet before, he still insists on seeing him. Because of Zhang Zizhong's matter, it is not enough for Xiao Zhenying to intercede in front of Chiang Kai-shek. There must be a strong lobbying voice inside and outside, and the most important thing is to rely on the group contacts of the old Northwest Army. Han Fuju's here is a breakthrough. If Zhang Zizhong was replaced by Song Zheyuan, the latter would refuse to come to the door anyway after being shut down, just like when the old Northwest Army was defeated, he had already walked to Taiyuan and was unwilling to beg Yan Laoxi. Zhang Zizhong naturally had to bite the bullet, but even if Xiao Zhenying didn't say anything, he understood that now he really had to save himself. After reporting his name and surname in front of the Shandong Provincial Government, the adjutant went in to report.Logically, Zhang Zizhong could only wait outside the door at this time, but everyone knew that this kind of waiting was doomed to be fruitless. Zhang Zizhong followed the adjutant and walked in. Very rude, but there is no way. From afar, I heard Han Fuju yelling loudly in the room, and it was still the same thing: A traitor, what can I say to him? The words are ugly, but no matter how ugly they are, you have to listen to them. Zhang Zizhong plucked up the courage, picked up the words, and responded loudly: Xiang Fang (Han Fuju's word), it's me. Han Fuju didn't expect that Zhang Zizhong would barge in directly, and he couldn't avoid it, but he still didn't want to give face to the other party. You sell your country, there is nothing to talk about between us. That tone, as if the two had never known each other before, but now one is a super traitor and the other is a national hero. Zhang Zizhong said calmly: It's not that I want to betray the country. Upon hearing this, Han Fuju stopped in his tracks and snorted. So, could it be that I, Mr. Han, taught you to betray your country? Zhang Zizhong took out the warrant that Song Zheyuan had given him back then. Han Fuju saw the problem at a glance. He was surprised to find that this was Song Zheyuan's own warrant. According to this warrant, Song Zheyuan personally handed over Zhang Zizhong's positions such as "Chairman of the Political Committee". What does this mean? It means that Song Zheyuan is likely to be responsible for this, but Zhang Zizhong is not responsible. Is it possible to judge from this, that is, Zhang Zizhong may soon return to his post, and his future prospects are still limitless, and his current attitude towards him is tantamount to asking for trouble in the future. Many people think that Han Fuju is a reckless general, but in fact they confuse him with Zhang Zongchang, another dog-meat general in Shandong. Zhang Zongchang may be an idiot, but Han Fuju is definitely not an idiot. Otherwise, can you imagine that he is a big bastard who would highly praise Liang Shuming's "rural construction movement" and make Shandong a "model province for rural construction"? This man is clever, and he is also very good at taking advantage of the opportunity. Immediately, he changed his face again and began to scold Song Zheyuan. Mingxuan (Song Zheyuan's word) this guy, betraying the country by himself, and letting others take the blame, is not authentic, how can you listen to him, Chenchen? Zhang Zizhong hurriedly said that this is not the case. Song Zheyuan and I originally wanted to fight against Little Japan, but the 29th Army suffered heavy losses and the reinforcements were delayed.We summed it up, yes, this is Chiang Kai-shek's intention to use the name of the War of Resistance to eliminate our motley army and eliminate dissidents. Our analysis at the time was like this: it doesn’t matter if you sacrifice for the war of resistance, but it would be too worthless if you sacrificed for "elimination of dissidents", so Song Zheyuan ordered me to station in Beijing on his behalf so that all troops could be withdrawn to Baoding. All in all, in a nutshell, we have never betrayed the country, and the purpose is to "reserve strength for the future comprehensive resistance to Japan." After Zhang Zizhong's insincere speech, I don't know if everyone has a feeling when listening to it-too good at speaking! Judging from Zhang Zizhong's previous experience, he did not have such a good eloquence. It seems that there is still only one explanation, that is, all these "eloquences" were planned by Xiao Zhenying. In front of Zhang Zizhong, Han Fuju was also taken aback when he heard it. It turned out that he could find such a high-sounding excuse to save his strength and avoid fighting, but it came down to "saving strength for the future comprehensive anti-Japanese war", which is too powerful. What Zhang Zizhong said actually hit Han Fuju's pulse. Didn't he think about how to "save power" all day long? If Song and Zhang are wrong and must be severely punished, then he, Han, will... We are actually standing on the same front. After understanding this truth, Han Fuju couldn't help saying: You are very clever in doing this! Instead, he was more polite to Zhang Zizhong, not only invited him to dinner, but also took the initiative to plan for him, saying that he would ask Feng Yuxiang for help.At this time, Feng Yuxiang was going to take office in the Sixth War Zone, and this temple in Jinan was a must. Han Fuju is a smart person. At this time, interceding for Song and Zhang is also interceding for himself. In fact, in history, neither Zhang Zizhong nor Xiao Zhenying had a good relationship with Feng Yuxiang. When the old Northwest Army failed in the battle with the Jin Army, Zhang Zizhong once joined the Jin Army. This caused Feng Yuxiang to distrust him for a while, and took away his right to lead the army. Take charge of the army. In contrast, Xiao Zhenying and Feng Yuxiang are almost sworn enemies.After Lao Feng officially took office as the commander-in-chief of the Sixth War Zone, he sent a pistol team to search and kill Xiao Zhenying. The reason was that Xiao not only refused to "cooperate", but also accused him of evil everywhere.But Xiao Zhenying thinks that the country is broken. You shouted patriotism and anti-Japanese war in public, while secretly thinking about reorganizing the old Northwest Army to fight against the central government. , what should be said still has to be said. Later, the Sixth War Zone was abolished. In addition to fighting too badly, it also had a lot to do with Xiao Zhenying's speech in front of Chiang Kai-shek. Since the all-out war of resistance, although Feng Yuxiang's record has not been very good, his image in the Kuomintang has always been the most resolute main combat faction. If this most resolute main combat faction and commander-in-chief of the Sixth War Zone can stand up and say something, it will be of great help to restore Zhang Zizhong. Reputation will undoubtedly play an irreplaceable role for others. Will Feng Yuxiang help this? Maybe not in the past, but now he will. In addition to relying on Han Fuju and not being able to refute his face, he also needs to re-establish the banner of the old Northwest Army helm. This is the second person Zhang Zizhong must meet. Sure enough, after receiving Han Fuju's request, Lao Feng wrote a personal letter to Chiang Kai-shek without hesitation. In this letter, he used an allusion for the first time, which is not from the Bible, but from the Bible. There is no way, the Chinese have never had the theory of atonement and repentance since ancient times, and there is only one solution to infidelity and injustice-killing, either homicide or suicide. In comparison, foreigners are still humane. In the "Bible", Jesus' disciple Peter came to sue, saying that he was always being bullied by others, and he has been holding back for this. If so, he has forgiven the other party seven times. He asked Master if he needed to forgive any more. This is a very nonsensical question. Jesus was so great, he went on and on. Is it enough to forgive seven times? Not enough, I tell you, not seven times, but 70 seven times, that is, 490 times. Feng Yuxiang is a Christian general, not a Buddhist general. In fact, similar sayings can also be found in Buddhist scriptures. Lao Feng suggested that Zhang Zizhong be forgiven, because the latter has a conscience and blood, as long as he is asked to continue to lead the team to fight in Japan, he will definitely do his duty. It should be said that the latter sentence was indeed from Feng Yuxiang's heart. With so many generals in the old Northwest Army, he was quite accurate in judging people.