Chapter 283 282 [Disadvantage]

"What's the attitude of the Sixth Marshal towards disarmament?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

Feng Yong explained: "If the disarmament plan is fair and reasonable, the six sons are willing to cooperate with the disarmament. Of course, in order to guard against the wolfish ambitions of the Japanese, several elite troops of the Northeast Army must be retained."

"Fair and reasonable?" Zhou Hexuan shook his head and smiled wryly, "I'm afraid it will be difficult."

Feng Yong sighed: "But the finances in the Northeast are even more difficult, and they can no longer afford to support so many soldiers. Even if the central government does not disarm, it is estimated that the six sons will abolish some of them."

Engaging in the military is just like engaging in education. Without money, it is difficult to move an inch.

Li Shi once engaged in education and made everyone oppose it. The biggest reason was that he had no money. And if the local warlords have no money, it is not as simple as a parade, and a mutiny will breed if they are not careful.

Zhang Zuolin entered the customs twice to fight for the world, not only smashing North China to pieces, but the finances of the Northeast were also dragged down by the war. Especially during the Northern Expedition, Zhang Zuolin not only had to support the Northeast Army, but also provided support to the Zhilu Allied Army and Sun Chuanfang's troops, with military expenditures in the hundreds of millions.

Zhang Xueliang inherited the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Army at a young age. It sounds good, but what he took over was a mess.

Zhou Hexuan said: "The most important thing in Northeast China now is to do two things well. First, strictly prevent the Japanese; second, restore people's livelihood and finances."

Feng Yong sighed: "It's good that Wang Yongjiang is still alive. With him, everything in the Northeast can rest easy."

Zhang Zuolin has the confidence to enter the customs to fight for hegemony because Wang Yongjiang stands behind him.

At that time, the law and order in the Northeast was chaotic, and the generals who were born as bandits were arrogant and domineering. It was Wang Yongjiang, who was the head of the police department, who managed to control the chaos. The Northeast's financial collapse was also the result of Wang Yongjiang, who was the Minister of Finance, turning the situation around. Not only did he pay off the government's debts, but he also achieved a fiscal surplus.

Wang Yongjiang issued public bonds in the Northeast, developed industries, and founded Northeast University. In order to measure the land and increase the income from the land tax, Wang Yongjiang killed 14 people in a row, and the atmosphere was cleared.

It can be said that it is Wang Yongjiang's super internal affairs ability that makes the three eastern provinces with financial surplus, stability and order.

However……

Zhang Zuolin's ambition destroyed all of this, and Wang Yongjiang's years of hard work became Zhang Zuolin's capital for expanding his army. Then when the Feng army entered the customs for the first time, it was completely destroyed, and the Northeast's finances once again suffered a huge deficit.

Wang Yongjiang worked hard for another year, and Northeast Finance once again turned losses into profits. As a result, Zhang Zuolin refused to listen to dissuasion and entered the customs for the second time, which caused prices in the Northeast to soar and the currency to depreciate.

Wang Yongjiang was so angry that he lost his sight in the left eye and had a heart bleed. He resigned in a rage and died in Jinzhou at the end of 1927.

The Northeast without Wang Yongjiang is like a strong man who cannot eat, and is suffering from malnutrition day by day.

Hearing Feng Yong mention Wang Yongjiang, Zhou Hexuan couldn't help sighing.

That old gentleman belonged to the super internal affairs talent in the Republic of China era, and he was a clean and honest official, without selfishness, and at the same time he was decisive, dared to offend the powerful, and had a certain amount of advance and retreat, able to bend and stretch, and knew people well. He could be called Wang Zuozhi's talent.

At the beginning, Zhang Zuolin was engaged in the self-government of the Northeast United Provinces, and Wang Yongjiang was in charge of the government affairs of the three provinces. Before he took office, he made a request that Zhang Zuolin should not intervene in the appointment of officials in the Northeast. As a result, Wang Yongjiang promoted a large number of hard-working officials. After Zhang Zuolin's death, the Northeast was not chaotic, which was largely due to Wang Yongjiang's original selection of talents.

What a pity, what a pity, this man died too early. It can be said that he worked hard and died of exhaustion, and was pissed off by Zhang Zuolin's nonsense.

Thinking of the September 18th Incident in the future, Zhou Hexuan solemnly warned: "Fifth Brother, you have to tell the Sixth Commander that no matter what happens, you must not use troops to fight a civil war."

Feng Yong smiled and said: "The Northeast has changed its flag, of course it is impossible to fight another civil war."

"This dispatch meeting is a sign of civil war!" Zhou Hexuan said anxiously.

Feng Yong was taken aback when he heard the words, and said solemnly: "No way, does Chang Kaishen dare to start a war with the local forces in the whole of China?"

"He wants to cut down the feudal clan, how do you think the warlords in the provinces will react?" Zhou Hexuan asked rhetorically.

"Cutting down the feudal clan is not enough, everyone can sit down and talk about the national disarmament plan." Feng Yong said very optimistically.

Zhou Hexuan asked: "What if we can't reach an agreement?"

Feng Yong said: "Then keep the status quo, the local military expenditure will be a big deal, and you don't need to find the central government to allocate funds."

Zhou Hexuan said: "The local standing army naturally does not need central funding. But what about the garrison in various places? If the garrison does not even go to the central government, is the central government still called the central government? What is the difference between this and the separatist regime? For the sake of himself and the prestige of the Nanjing government, Chang Kaishen absolutely cannot allow this phenomenon to exist. The central government wants to centralize power, while the local government wants to protect itself, this is an irreconcilable contradiction."

"Everything can be discussed." Feng Yong said.

Well, Feng Yong's point of view is similar to that of Yan Xishan, they both think that they can sit down and discuss without resorting to war.

It's a pity that they thought of Chang Kaishen as too weak.

That afternoon, Yan Xishan came as scheduled and happened to run into Feng Yong.

"Hanqing (Feng Yong), you are Commander Zhang's representative, what does he think about disarmament?" Yan Xishan asked when they met.

Feng Yong said with a smile: "Like Minister Yan, our Commander Zhang also supports disarmament."

Yan Xishan waved his hand and said, "Supporting disarmament is for the common people, so we don't need to say such nonsense."

Feng Yong said solemnly: "If the disarmament plan upholds the public heart, then our Commander Zhang will naturally be dedicated to the country."

"I'm just afraid that someone will show favoritism!" Yan Xishan said, patting his thigh, and then asked Zhou Hexuan, "Mr. Zhou is very predictable, what kind of tricks do you think Chang Kaishen will play this time?"

Zhou Hexuan said with a smile: "Minister Yan, why bother to ask me, I'm afraid you and Commander-in-Chief Chang have already reached a secret agreement."

Yan Xishan's eyes widened: "You can guess this?"

"If he didn't have a plan in mind, Minister Yan would have thought about coming to my wedding?" Zhou Hexuan laughed.

Yan Xishan said frankly: "I have some cooperation with Lao Jiang, but I feel that something is wrong. I have discussed with my staff for several days and I have no idea, so I decided to ask Mr. Zhou. Even Mr. Toynbee in the UK said you He is an expert on international issues and must have unique insights into China's issues."

Zhou Hexuan analyzed: "Chang Kaishen is not an idiot. If he dares to propose disarmament, he will inevitably recruit one faction to attack the other. The Chinese pay attention to long-distance friendship and short-term attack, so they must win over Minister Yan and suppress Feng (Yuxiang), Li (Zongren) and Bai (Bai Chongxi) . Am I right?"

"All right!" Yan Xishan admired.

Zhou Hexuan also said: "Li and Bai's territory is closest to Chang Kaishen, and they are new warlords with a small territory and insufficient background, so Chang Kaishen must attack them first. When Li and Bai are resolved , the next one will be Feng Yuxiang's turn. As for the last one, who does Director Yan think it will be?"

"Isn't it just me?" Yan Xishan said with a smile, he knew this truth, but he had his own plans.

This is the fan of the authorities, or in other words, they are lucky, always thinking that they will not be the ones who get hurt.

Feng Yuxiang contributed a lot in the Northern Expedition and suffered the most losses, but he was deliberately suppressed by Chang Kaishen at the spoils sharing meeting half a year ago, and the benefits he got in the end were not as good as Yan Xishan's.

Even so, Feng Yuxiang still harbored illusions, hoping to gain the support of Chang Kaishen at the dispatch meeting, so as to gain a pivotal position in the central government.

Whether it is the former Beiyang government or the current Nanjing government, they are all legal central governments, occupying the morality and righteousness. The warlords valued this very much, so both Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan wanted to gain high positions. After the central government gained status and influence, they would unite with other forces to force Jiang to step down through political suppression.

Zhou Hexuan didn't want to see warlords fighting. He suggested: "Minister Yan, you'd better stand up and oppose Chang Kaishen when he attacked Li and Bai, so as to avoid the situation from expanding."

"Well, let me think about it again. Hehe." Yan Xishan said perfunctorily.

What Zhou Hexuan came up with was a good idea, and it was the only way to avoid a war in the Central Plains. As long as Chang Kaishen cannot successfully subdue Li and Bai, he will not dare to attack Feng Yuxiang easily.

But Yan Xishan was unwilling, because of the secret agreement with Chang Kaishen, he was the beneficiary of this disarmament.

Yan Xishan didn't want to let go of the fat on his lips, and he didn't bother to care about Li and Bai's life and death.

Everyone understands the reason why the lips are dead and the teeth are cold, but when it is really my turn, I always have luck and illusions.

Yan Xishan felt that when Chang Kaishen got rid of Li and Bai, and then attacked Feng Yuxiang, it would definitely cause anger and resentment. When the time comes, he will stand up and raise his arms and unite all forces to easily force Chang Kaishen to step down, and he himself will have a chance to become the supreme leader of China.

Zhou Hexuan reminded: "Minister Yan, Chang Kaishen will never abide by your agreement with him, be careful of being used as a gun."

Yan Xishan said, "What I want to ask is this, what tricks does Chang Kaishen play?"

"Crossing the river and tearing down the bridge, you have to be careful." Zhou Hexuan said.

Yan Xishan wanted to ask again, but Zhou Hexuan kept silent, because it was useless to talk. It wasn't until Yan Xishan went to Nanjing for a meeting that he finally understood what it meant to cross the river and tear down the bridge...

In the secret agreement between Yan and Jiang, Chang Kaishen and Yan Xishan each received ten division establishments, Feng Yuxiang eight division establishments, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi combined eight division establishments, and the remaining divisions were directly under the central government.

Yan Xishan proposed this plan on his own initiative, and Chang Kaishen agreed accordingly, and they joined forces to suppress others.

But Yan Xishan never expected that Chang Kaishen suddenly and temporarily changed his mind, and inexplicably set the whole country into eight dispatching areas, and Chang Kaishen himself controlled four alone. If this disarmament plan is strictly implemented, then half of the entire Chinese army will be in the hands of Chang Kaishen.

Since Yan Xishan expressed his strong support for the central government on the first day of the meeting, in the end he was unable to oppose this plan, and could only eat the bitter fruit of his greed with tears.

This deal is a big loss!

After the meeting, Yan Xishan sighed to his entourage: "Mr. Zhou has predicted me again, I shouldn't support Lao Jiang, I'm in a cocoon!"