Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Through the Back Door

The household registration problem was finally resolved, but the 29th Army was faced with a difficult problem that could not be solved from time to time. The military pay from Nanjing was so pitifully small that it was not enough at all. After Xiao Zhenying inquired, he understood. Chiang Kai-shek gave the indicator, which was purely out of practical considerations of "systematic worship", and he was secretly wary of Song Zheyuan and his 29th Army. In the past Jiang Feng war and the Central Plains war, Song Zheyuan had served as the vanguard many times, and Chiang Kai-shek has always been worried about this.When Xiao Zhenying came to Beijing for the first time, he was always reluctant to let go, which was one of the reasons.

It seems that we still have to make another trip to Nanjing, otherwise the future path of the 29th Army will be difficult to follow. If the words of promoting Song Zheyuan came from Xiao Zhenying's mouth and heard in Chiang Kai-shek's ears, it would only have the opposite effect, so others had to say it. The person Xiao Zhenying first thought of was Song Ziwen, the uncle of the country. Song Ziwen, who was the Minister of Finance at the time, was at his most popular, and enjoyed a lot with Chiang Kai-shek.If you can get him to say a few good words to Chiang Kai-shek, you won't have to worry about the failure of good things.

But this door is good, but they can't get in, and even Song Ziwen can't even meet him. Minister Song, who was the top "sea turtle" back then, not only drank foreign ink, but also drank ink from Harvard in the United States. He usually walks with his nostrils upturned. When he is unhappy, even Chiang Kai-shek doesn't pay attention . As soon as someone told him that Xiao Zhenying asked to see him, he immediately asked: Who is Xiao Zhenying?Has he stayed in England or been to America?Do you know that coming is come and going is going, nodding yes and shaking your head no?

Oh, I don't know, and I don't speak English.So how do I communicate with him?not see! Xiao Zhenying had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and knock on the door of another dignitary—Song Ziwen's brother-in-law and Chiang Kai-shek's brother-in-law Kong Xiangxi. This knock really hits. Speaking of which, Kong Xiangxi and the Northwest Army still have a little historical connection.As early as before Feng Yuxiang broke away from the direct lineage, Sun Yat-sen sent Kong Xiangxi to Feng Yuxiang's side in order to instigate rebellion against him.Later, Feng Yuxiang joined the "Four Brothers", and Kong Xiangxi and Chiang Kai-shek were relatives again, so the contacts between the two were naturally closer than before.

But then again, before this, it doesn't mean that Kong Xiangxi must have had any impression of Xiao Zhenying. Although Xiao Zhenying met each other once again when he came to Beijing last time, he didn't know where to go. After all, for the former Speaking of it, there are countless people who look for Chiang Kai-shek every day, and Xiao Zhenying is just one of them. But the impression can be deepened, especially when the other party comes to the door with a generous gift. The 29th Army was so poor that what they lacked most was money. However, as the saying goes, "I can't bear the golden marbles, I can't beat the silver phoenix."

Like Yan Xishan, Kong has always been named a rich man in Shanxi by the outside world. He is very talented in business and has made a lot of money in private.Logically speaking, a person like him should have a very indifferent attitude towards things outside his body. But who have you met who really thinks too much money?What's more, in the Notes of the Republic of China, although this brother Kong can speak a few words of pidgin-style English, he is actually a common man, not a star and a half behind his brother-in-law.People at the time even believed that this self-proclaimed descendant of Confucius was quite similar to a famous figure in the Three Kingdoms period—the equally vulgar Liu Biao and Liu Jingsheng.

But the advantage of vulgarity, because dealing with vulgar people is Xiao Zhenying's specialty. As soon as he entered the door, without saying a word, Xiao Zhenying fell to his knees with a plop. Kong Xiangxi was taken aback and quickly helped him up. Xiao Zhenying knelt and did not move. I kowtow to you not for myself, but for the group and friends.If you don't promise to help, I will never get up. Since ancient times, a man has gold under his knees, and Kong Xiangxi was greatly touched: Let me try it, you get up and talk first. The two sat down as guests and hosts, and Xiao Zhenying passed the words: Although our old Northwest Army has fallen to this point, as the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and Mr. Kong will be useful to us in the future.

These words really made Kong Xiangxi very useful. Although he is a member of the Central Committee, he is a civil servant after all. If he wants to increase his status in front of Chiang Kai-shek, the best way is to establish a relationship with a powerful local army. Yes, the current Northwest Army is not as good as it used to be, but this is the same as stock trading. The price of the original stock is low, so there is a lot of room for future growth.At the same time, this stock is almost as if it was delivered to my door for free. Apart from talking about it, it actually costs nothing at all.Taking a 10,000-step back, even if it really can't rise in the future and becomes a junk stock, he and someone don't need to jump in a hurry.

Kong Xiangxi used his mind like brother Kong Fang's to make some calculations, and felt that this deal was really worth a try, and it was worth a try. Then he played drums with Chiang Kai-shek, knocking back and forth, just to convince Chiang Kai-shek that Song Zheyuan rebelled against Chiang back then because he had to do it because he was under Feng Yuxiang's account. In fact, he is still a very good person. Yes, I don't have any malice towards you old man. Back then, I tried my best to oppose Jiang, so it would be better to oppose Yan. From then on, Chiang Kai-shek's impression of Song Zheyuan became better and better.

With this foundation, Xiao Zhenying was able to contribute again, the last time was "Zhi Feng", this time it was "Zhi Jin". After the Central Plains War, Yan Xishan, who was driven away, hid outside for a while, and now he has returned to Taiyuan. Now it is Chiang Kai-shek's turn to worry. Although Lao Yan doesn't seem to have much courage to rebel again, but you don't want to touch his nest easily. Shanxi is not open to traffic (the track is different from other places in the country), and it does not cooperate, does not bird you, like a hedgehog, leaving you nowhere to talk.

Xiao Zhenying brought happy pills to Chiang Kai-shek. He met Chiang Kai-shek for the third time.As soon as we met, I stopped talking about the Northwest Army and the 29th Army, and kept talking about "our army". There are "our troops" in Shanxi, and they will help you keep an eye on that restless Yan Laoxi. Xiao Zhenying also said that the 29th Army intends to find an opportunity to go north, from the south of Shanxi to the east of Shanxi, and take on the task of monitoring the Northwest Army's "enemy" Yan Xishan. This medicine was curing Chiang Kai-shek's heart disease, and the latter immediately turned his worries into joy. Now that you have smiled, it is easier to open the following mouth. The 29th Army hates Yan to the bone, and is very willing to serve you loyally, but they are now encountering a little difficulty and lack of funds. This is easy. Chiang Kai-shek immediately made two brushstrokes, allocated a special fee of 300,000 per month, and promised to increase the monthly military salary. After returning from this trip, Xiao Zhenying brought back a special fee for two months: 600,000! There is also a list with the money, just like the current pay slip, which will show you in detail the various monthly increases in military salary income. For this, those veterans of the Northwest Army who are used to hardship find it very strange. I know, it turns out that being a soldier can get so much salary, and you can get the full salary. When I was in the Northwest Army, I could basically only manage my food, and I could only pay a few yuan for "shoes and socks" every month, and even this was never paid in full. After Xiao Zhenying's management from top to bottom, this army under the fence also began to live a decent life. However, the good times don't always last long.Not long after, someone came to chase them away. The unpopular Yan Xishan put on a bad face and issued an order to expel the 29th Army. Of course, it would be difficult for him to do so publicly.Because when Xu Yongchang, the chairman of Shanxi Province, was temporarily in charge of the family earlier, he had already agreed to the 29th Army to stay out of the friendship of the same room.It would be embarrassing to regret now. But this is not a problem for Lao Yan.He didn't have anything else, but he had more ghost ideas, one of which was called: Killing with a Borrowed Knife. Soon the 29th Army received a telegram from Chiang Kai-shek, saying that it was going to transfer troops to the Jiangxi battlefield. After receiving the telegram, the top leaders of the 29th Army blew up their nests. Jiangxi is a big fire pit.For local troops, it is no different from dispatching troops. But if you don't want to, you don't want to. The telegram from the central government seems to have nothing to do with it. I'll give you the establishment and pay you, and if you say you don't want to fight, don't you want to rebel? But the 29th Army has Xiao Zhenying, who seems to have a solution at any time. Why did the Nanjing government think of transferring us from Shanxi at this moment?No need to ask, it must be Yan Laoxi's bad idea. You let us go, but we won't go. Xiao Zhenying didn't look for Chiang Kai-shek, he went for Zhang Xueliang. To do this kind of thing, you need help.Xiao Zhenying's assistant is Qin Dechun, who is also a counselor. Qin Dechun went to the Northeast Army to spread the word, saying that Yan Xishan was going to grow old after returning to Taiyuan, and he didn't pay attention to the Northeast Army at all, and he still remembered the revenge of the Northeast Army stabbing him in the back during the Central Plains War. If you don't pay attention, you may do the same thing and stab you from behind. Zhang Xueliang originally had doubts about Yan Xishan's return to Taiyuan, but he was even more shocked and frightened when he heard about it. At this time Xiao Zhenying came to the door and recommended himself, saying that the 29th Army was willing to help the Northeast Army monitor Yan Xishan. Someone is willing to help us block bullets, who would not like such a good thing. The young commander immediately nodded. Here, Yan Xishan specially sent a representative to "respectfully send" the 29th Army out of Jin Dynasty, designated the route, and arranged receptions in various counties along the way. They had everything they wanted, including towels and soap, so they were ready to send these people away as soon as possible. , the sooner the better, the farther the better. In front of the representatives of Taiyuan, Xiao Zhenying gave a lecture to the officers and soldiers of the 29th Army, telling them that after eating and drinking, they must not forget the kindness of "Commander Yan", even if they go to the ends of the world, "they must not forget their meaning." The Taiyuan representative was very satisfied and left. The next day, the 29th Army suddenly killed a carbine and returned to Jindong again. At this time, Yan Xishan was still sitting at home thinking about good things, when he heard the news, he jumped up from his chair. Let them go, why are they back again? After inquiring about it, I understood that, as the saying goes, the strong are more powerful than the strong, followed the advice of a kid named Xiao Zhenying. You can't beat around the bush, you can only go straight. Yan Xishan sent someone to find Xiao Zhenying, and told him clearly that this was the boundary of Shanxi, and other troops were not allowed to station at will. Xiao Zhenying's answer was: Shanxi is our Chinese territory, and we are Chinese troops, so we can station wherever we want. It sounds upright and awe-inspiring, but in fact it's a bit of a rascal in it. China is such a big place, and it is not easy to go anywhere, why are you willing to stay here? But in the situation where there are no tiles on the top and no space on the bottom, if you don't play a rogue, what other better way to deal with it. Yan Xishan thought he was already thick-skinned, but he didn't expect someone stronger than him, so he was blocked for a while and couldn't speak. He went to Chiang Kai-shek to file an imperial complaint, but the latter never mentioned the matter of letting the 29th Army go south. Needless to say, of course Zhang Xueliang played the role behind it. Staying in eastern Shanxi created the conditions for the 29th Army to embark on the road to success.Had they been transferred to Jiangxi at the beginning, it might have been another fate. In those days in eastern Jin, the 29th Army still had a hard time.If you change to other troops, you may have given up your picks long ago. However, Song Zheyuan and his brothers must persevere. If the clothes are torn, we can just make do with them, and if the shoes are rotten, we can simply throw them away. If we are barefoot, we are not afraid of those who wear shoes. If the gun is old, we can continue to carry it on our shoulders as a fire stick. Anyway, he has become an otaku and can't go anywhere, so don't be afraid of losing face outside. For the first time this time, the old saying that lifts the spirit is still indispensable: Therefore, when heaven will send a great mission to human beings, they must first suffer from their will, exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their skin and skin, and empty their bodies... The "big mission" will definitely come, and there is no need to wait too long. This "big mission" is the War of Resistance. After the "September 18th" Incident, the 29th Army sent a telegram to invite Ying to fight against Japan.In the telegram, Xiao Zhenying specially added a sentence: I would rather be a dead ghost than a subjugated slave! The 29th Army's military training in Jindong used the slogan "the guns are not aimed at the outside, not at the inside" from beginning to end. There was only one imaginary enemy, and that was the Japanese army. The Japanese invasion of China, in today's buzzwords, can be described as a double-edged sword. It not only marked the arrival of a national crisis, but also meant that opportunities for soldiers to emerge came one after another. The role model for the 29th Army is the 19th Route Army in the south. Before the "January 28th" Songhu Battle, the 19th Route Army was not only unknown, but also almost became cannon fodder on the Jiangxi battlefield.But after that battle, the whole country regards him as a hero, almost to the point where everyone loves him and every flower blooms. At this time, the situation of the 29th Army was similar to that of the 19th Route Army before the Battle of Songhu. The success of the latter obviously inspired them a lot. The poor man who has almost nothing in the first place must be more willing to risk his life than the children of rich families who have a lot of pots and pans. What we lose is only the chains, but what we gain may be the whole world. But not everyone can grasp the opportunity, it requires strength. Let's prepare seriously. Start with eating. Before eating, everyone sang "Dining Song" to get some education. When a child drops a grain of rice on the table while eating, he may reflexively think of what the teacher said in class: Every grain of rice in our bowl is planted by the farmer's hard work and must not be wasted. In order not to waste, it should be picked up and eaten. The 29th Army also needs to talk about this truth.But they went a step further, telling the officers and soldiers to remember to thank the peasant uncle after eating the rice grains—to fight the Japanese devils who invaded China. Very deep and vivid. After dinner, there will be a morning meeting, and the officers and soldiers must ask and answer loudly. Do you still remember the classic scene when the "Seventh Steel Company" roll call?Pretty much the same in form. Private "Xu Sanduo". arrive! Whose three eastern provinces belong to? It belongs to China! But now it is taken by Japan, don't you hate it? I hate it so much. then what should we do? struggle!struggle!struggle! How about it, it's very inspiring.This is taught to ordinary soldiers. As for officers, they have to be at a higher level. The must-reads for officers of the 29th Army will scare you when you say it: The "Four Books" in the "Four Books and Five Classics". They also compiled a "Little History of Virtue and Bravery", which talks about people like Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Wen Tianxiang, and Shi Kefa, and it is also a must-read. It seems that the "Four Books" and this popular little book have one high and one low, and they seem to have nothing to do with each other. In fact, in the eyes of Song Zheyuan and others, they are all the same thing. Reading the "Four Books" is not for taking the exam in Beijing, but to read the word loyalty from it: loyal to friends, loyal to the country, and then you can save the country and the people. Don't say they are old-fashioned, they are all traditional culture of the motherland, and there are opium and shark's fin in it, it depends on whether you want to smoke opium or eat shark's fin. In the 29th Army, officers often defend the "Four Statements", and the winner can be personally rewarded by Song Zheyuan. Ideological work must be done, and military training must not be lost. The most famous person in this regard is Zhang Zizhong, known as "Zhang Papi". In order to get the long-term workers to do more work, Zhou Papi would drill into the chicken coop before dawn. This at least shows that if you want others to work hard, you have to lose a layer of skin first. The same is true for "Zhang Papi". How did this name come out? Once when it snowed heavily, everyone dragged their feet and hid in the barracks, unwilling to have sex. Without further ado, Zhang Zizhong stripped off his "skin" -- the cotton padded jacket, and then ran around the playground shirtless. What else to look at, peel off the "skin", let's run along together. Although "Zhang Papi" was ruthless, no one dared to refuse.The dignified teacher has the same shaved head as the soldiers, wears the same clothes, squats next to a big pot to eat, eats, sleeps and works together. If you have seen the training of Zhang Zizhong's 38th Division, you will know that this teacher is a real deal. Find one or two soldiers by your side, and all of you will watch me demonstrate to you. When you can do what I do, it's OK. That is, if you want to shoot, you can shoot, if you want to shoot, you can shoot, and individual skills are one in a million. In the summer of 1931, Kong Xiangxi inspected the government affairs of North China as the Minister of Industry, and went to his hometown in Shanxi to visit the tomb in his spare time.However, what outsiders don't know is that he also had a special mission on this trip, that is, entrusted by Chiang Kai-shek, to find out the reality of the 29th Army. Kong Xiangxi once helped Song Zheyuan speak well in front of Chiang Kai-shek, so Song Zheyuan entertained him well and invited him to inspect the army.In less than a year, the army that appeared in Kong Xiangxi's eyes was already well-paced, with awe-inspiring discipline, and all the officers and soldiers were full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue. Only if you are strong enough, you can grasp an opportunity when it comes. The 29th Army participated in the Great Wall Anti-Japanese War. At first, it was ordered by Zhang Xueliang. The latter had not yet resigned at that time. He asked Song Zheyuan to garrison at Xifengkou. The Great Wall in North China is more than 1,000 kilometers long, and not all places must be guarded, only key passes need to be blocked.Since ancient times, the Great Wall has three most important passes, from west to east, namely: Gubeikou, Xifengkou, and Lengkou. During the march, Song Zheyuan suddenly received a telegram from Zhang Xueliang, asking them to move to Lengkou. Song Zheyuan was very confused about this practice of changing the order from day to day, but Xiao Zhenying, who was the general councilor, immediately understood the reason. Something must have gone wrong! Through Xiao Zhenying's reminder, Song Zheyuan finally recalled an event that happened not long ago. An internal military meeting was held in Beiping, and everyone divided the defense zones.Zhang Xueliang took a pencil and flicked on the map, and said to Song Zheyuan, you keep the entrance of Xifeng. Song Zheyuan went up to take a look and thought that the defense zone for the 29th Army was a little too much. The young marshal said, don't be afraid, isn't there He Zhuguo next to him, he can help you. It's okay not to mention He Zhuguo, but Song Zheyuan is not happy to mention it. This brother just lost Shanhaiguan, a defeated general, what help can he do for me, I will thank him if he doesn't make trouble! After Zhang Xueliang heard this sentence, he froze on the spot, unable to raise his head for a long time. In fact, Song Zheyuan is a straightforward person who can't turn corners when he speaks. At that time, he muttered such a sentence at the meeting, which was purely out of intention and he didn't think too much. After understanding what happened, Xiao Zhenying stumbled and sighed. It seems that Zhang Xueliang began to avoid us. He changed the defense zone of the 29th Army from Xifengkou to Lengkou because he was afraid that the 29th Army would copy the Northeast Army's rear route in Luandong! No matter what time, Zhang Xueliang, who is the commander-in-chief of the three armies, still has such thoughts, Song Zheyuan was dumbfounded when he heard it. Now that the matter has come to this point, Song Zheyuan is also very helpless, now he finally knows what it means to say that disaster comes from the mouth. Then we go to cold mouth according to the order? Xiao Zhenying thought for a while, then shook his head. Lengkou is a lonely place, only the small road connects with the outside, and the road is far away and cold.Now that the Northeast Army has suspicions and precautions, the 29th Army will definitely encounter difficulties in supplies when it goes there, which is extremely detrimental to future victories. Song Zheyuan looked at his military adviser, so what do you think? Xiao Zhenying looked around, and suddenly whispered in his ear: Resisting orders and not obeying them! Song Zheyuan was taken aback. I heard you right, the last time I caused trouble because I didn't pay attention to what I said, and if I openly resist the order now, wouldn't the consequences be even more unpredictable. Xiao Zhenying said it's okay. We can first send a cavalry to Lengkou to make an explanation, and then use my own name to generate electricity and report to Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek respectively, requesting that the 29th Army be stationed at Xifengkou. Song Zheyuan nodded, that's all he could do. The telegram was sent out quickly. These two telegrams seem to be nothing at first glance, but they are very particular after scrutiny. What is a personal name?That is, it has nothing to do with the organization, which first of all puts the responsibility of the 29th Army aside.The higher-ups ordered the troops to implement it, and now I am just expressing my own personal views. Whether you agree or disagree, there are steps for both sides to step down, and there is still a lot of room for change. The so-called understanding of human feelings means that we must take care of everything, all the time, and everywhere. In order to convince the high-level people so that the 29th Army will not be cold-mouthed, it is necessary to explain clearly and thoroughly the reason why Xifengkou should be guarded. Xiao Zhenying analyzed clearly in the telegram. The location of Xifengkou on the first line of the Great Wall is very dangerous, and among the three major passes, it is second only to Gubeikou.Compared with Lengkou, it is closer to Pingjin.According to records in the history of the Ming Dynasty, when Huang Taiji led his army to the south, he deliberately bypassed the Shanhaiguan Pass guarded by Yuan Chonghuan. It was from here that he broke through and formed a siege of Beijing. Everyone knows what happened afterwards. Governor Yuan rushed to the rescue, personally took the arrow, and his armor was shot to the size of a hedgehog skin. He was raped by his own emperor, and the Ming Dynasty finally destroyed the Great Wall by itself, causing a tragedy of subjugation. History tends to repeat itself.If there is no heavy fortification, the Kwantung Army will easily break through Xifengkou. Once Xifengkou is completely lost, it is worthless to defend Lengkou. On the one hand, the Northeast Army in Luandong will lose its retreat; . Xiao Zhenying's telegram was completely based on facts, even if Zhang Xueliang read it, it would be difficult to find faults. Chiang Kai-shek was in North China at this time. After reading the telegram, he immediately replied and approved it. This telegram made Chiang Kai-shek discover another talent of Xiao Zhenying, that is, in addition to his long-sleeved and good at dancing vertically and horizontally, he also has unique insights in military affairs. This person is useful. Chiang Kai-shek personally summoned Xiao Zhenying and asked the latter to report to him the military situation in North China. In the end, he told Xiao Zhenying again and again that the Great Wall's War of Resistance is related to the survival of the country, and you are guarding a dangerous place, so you must be willing to get out of it.