Central Plains War

Author: / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-08-01
Features: When Feng Yuxiang heard this, every sentence seemed pointed, making him extremely uneasy. At noon, upon returning to his home in Sanpailou, he took off his hat and said, "Mr. Jiang mentioned Xiang Longsheng again today. Are there still Xiang Longshengs around? Who is Xiang Longsheng?" Xu Shiyi, Wang Hu, and Liu Zhizhou, all of whom were Feng's peers and close friends, were present. Wang served as a member of the Relief Committee; Xu, Feng's hometown compatriot, was the chairman of the Relief Committee; and Liu had long been Feng's aide and also a member of the Relief Committee. They chimed in, "Huanzhang, under such a low eaves, how could you not bow your head? You must endure." "Huanzhang, you should remain patient and self-restrained. Don't overthink things." Feng's subordinates, such as Zhang Zhijiang, Li Mingzhong, Lu Zhonglin, Xue Dubei, and Qin Dechun, were all furious but dared not speak up. After finishing dinner, Feng put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth, saying, "I've been experiencing insomnia and recurrent stomach problems. The doctor says it's due to neurasthenia. I need to take a leave and return to Kaifeng for treatment." Thus, Feng hastily wrote a short letter to Jiang Jieshi and Minister of Administration Tang Yanchong. At about 3 PM, he rushed to the National Government and personally delivered his leave request, then immediately returned home to pack his belongings. When Jiang Jieshi realized something was wrong, he hurriedly arrived at the Xiaoguan Pier with Chen Yi, the director of the Military Armament Bureau of the Ministry of War, and other senior military and political officials in Beijing. By then, Feng had already reached the point of no return. Feng feigned distress, showing a sickly appearance as he bid farewell to Jiang Jieshi. Jiang Jieshi, putting on a show of sincerity, took Li Dequan's hand and said, "Brother-in-law, I entrust your brother's health to you. I gaze at the Central Plains from afar, offering prayers for his swift return. I hope he returns soon to take charge of the family." He then said to Feng, "I told you earlier that if your brother wishes to visit, I will stay in the capital to guard. If I need to tour the regions, I will ask your brother to stay here to oversee matters. With our brotherly cooperation, peace in the world can be achieved." Feng replied, "Brother, rest assured, I will return soon." The two shook hands warmly, exchanging good wishes. As the sun set, Feng, accompanied by his family, crossed the river at Xiaoguan Pier. At 8:30 PM, at the Pukou Station, the train roared to life, billowing smoke and steam as it sped northward. Feng lay down in his sleeping compartment, pulled the curtains, and fell asleep. On the opposite bank, Jiang Jieshi clenched his fists in frustration. This was called: "The carp casts off the golden hook and sways its tail, never to return." Jiang Jieshi was furious and soon came to Chengxian Street to visit Li Zongren's residence. It was originally in early 1929 that rumors of discord between the Central Government and Wuhan were rampant. To avoid suspicion, Li Zongren lived in Nanjing with Guo Dejie. Jiang Jieshi said, "Dealin, I must deal with Feng Yuxiang—he doesn't respect the Central Government or me. How about we join forces and act together?" His eyes burned with intensity as he stared directly at Li Zongren. Li Zongren, well aware of Jiang's ambition to strike down rivals one by one, presented a grand argument: "Internal conflicts must not be lightly stirred. With the Communists growing stronger and Japanese warlords lurking, if our party descends into civil war, they will seize the opportunity." He added, "Feng Yuxiang is rough and sharp-tongued, which is his weakness; but he is hardworking, skilled in military training, and shares hardships with his troops, with high patriotism, which is his strength. If the Central Government is sincere and open, it might persuade him to contribute to national construction. If the government promotes justice and clarifies right from wrong, guiding people to do good, Feng will surely accept Central leadership. Thus, we should appeal to his sense of virtue rather than act hastily." Jiang Jieshi frowned, "Feng Yuxiang considers himself a senior figure—will he obey 'us'?" Li Zongren, understanding Jiang's intention to form an alliance, replied, "Feng Yuxiang is easy to deal with alone, but he commands over 100,000 troops, and each of his subordinates is like a Feng Yuxiang. One Feng is hard to handle, but countless Fengs are impossible to manage. Today, Feng's role is like a 'string of coins'—with it, he can mobilize his forces at will. Once the string breaks, the coins scatter, and it will be troublesome to gather them." Jiang Jieshi, not grasping the point, left abruptly. Upon returning to the General Headquarters in San Yuan Lane, he was furious. Yang Yongtai again advised, "It's time to cut off the chaos swiftly. To hesitate is to invite trouble." Jiang Jieshi said, "I've been restless, sleepless, and troubled lately, all because of 'reducing the regional lords,' but Feng, Yan, and Li together command far more troops than I do. Direct confrontation won't work. What can I do?" Yang Yongtai, confident in his plan, said, "In my opinion, direct confrontation won't work—let's switch to indirect tactics." He whispered, "Use military means to resolve the Fourth Group Army, political means for the Third, economic means for the Second, and diplomatic means for the Northeast Army." Jiang Jieshi's eyes lit up with delight, "Changqing, you are truly my Zhang Liang! Find an excuse," he gestured as if wielding a knife, "cut them down swiftly—start with the Guangxi faction!" Yang Yongtai smiled, "If you want to accuse someone, what's the harm in finding a reason? Let them walk into the trap—they have no one to blame but themselves."
A betrayal at the elbow Jiang Jieshi tilted his head, examining the map of the nation's situation: "The Guangxi faction stretches from south to north and east, forming a long chain, responding to each other, with formidable momentum. Where should we strike?" Yang Yongtai, after deep contemplation, pointed at the map, "Li Zongren commands a large army in Wuhan, dominating Hubei and Hunan, in the heart of the Yangtze River's upper reaches, with strategic flexibility. Bai Chongxi leads a mighty force in North China, isolated and exposed. Zhang Dingtan is stationed at the Yangtze River mouth, with troops in Shanghai, showing great prestige. Huang Shaohuan holds the Guangxi base, securing the rear and supporting the front. But there's a fatal flaw." Jiang Jieshi hurriedly asked, "Changqing, where do you think the fatal flaw lies?" Yang Yongtai hesitated, "Your Excellency is a strategic genius—I dare not speak out of turn." "，，but speak freely," Jiang Jieshi encouraged. Yang Yongtai pointed directly at Changsha: "This is their fatal flaw. The Governor of Hunan and commander of the Second Army, Lu Deting, is an old subordinate of President Tan Yalian and leans toward the Central Government, not under Li Zongren's control." Jiang Jieshi nodded repeatedly, "This is where the key move lies."
In mid-February, He Jian, the commander of the 19th Division stationed in Changsha, quietly arrived at the headquarters of the Fourth Group Army in Hankou. He Jian, styled Yunqiao, also known as Rong Yuan, was from Liling, Hunan. In his early years, he served under Cheng Qian, the commander of the Hunan Army, and later became the commander of the 8th Division under Tang Shengzhi and the commander of the 35th Army. Although not outwardly aligned with Jiang Jieshi, he played both sides and profited. In Wuhan, the Guangxi faction was led by Xiang Wei, commander of the 7th Army, Tao Jun, commander of the 18th Army, and Hu Zongduo, commander of the 19th Army. The three had once been junior officers of the Guangxi faction, rising through battles and achievements to become commanders of armies in just a few years. They were now full of ambition and arrogance. Normally, when Li Zongren was present, they followed orders. But with Li gone, they acted like monkeys ruling the roost, fearless of anything. One incident proved this. On June 26, 1928, the National Government passed a resolution proposed by Jiang Jieshi, the commander-in-chief, to establish the "Commission for Demobilization and Post-Demobilization Affairs" to oversee troop reductions. Jiang Jieshi, using the Central Government as a tool, felt triumphant. Accompanied by a group of central officials—Cai Yuanpei (Jumen), Wu Jingheng (Zihui), Zhang Renjie (Jingjiang), Dai Chuanxian (Jitao), Zhang Qun (Yuejun), Chen Brey (Weilai), and Chief of the General Staff Li Jishen (Renchao)—he traveled to Wuhan by ship. On the 28th, upon arrival in Hankou, he saw banners fluttering along both banks of the Yangtze, with crowds of people, and Li Zongren, as chairman of the Wuhan Political Committee and commander-in-chief of the Fourth Group Army, led officials and various civilian groups to hold a grand welcoming ceremony by the riverbank. The slogans rose into the sky, and drums shook the heavens. That night, Li Zongren hosted a grand banquet to entertain the visiting Jiang Jieshi. However, the three young and arrogant commanders—Xiang Wei, Hu Zongduo, and Tao Jun—did not attend, ignoring Jiang Jieshi. The banquet was filled with empty plates and chairs, much to Jiang's anger. Li Zongren rushed to urge them, but the three fierce commanders refused to come, still drinking and eating heartily elsewhere. Hu Zongduo, drunk and arrogant, said, "With Li Boss here to entertain, why do we need to go?"
Now, He Jian, with a conspiratorial tone, informed the proud Xiang Wei and the others, "Jiang Jieshi has shipped a large amount of weapons and equipment from Jiangxi to replenish Lu Deting, the commander of the 18th Division and governor of Hunan, preparing to strike the Guangxi faction. The situation is urgent—quickly devise a response."