Bright Sword: The Flowers of War

Chapter 320 The Honeymoon Period Ends

This "local tyrant" who has held sway in Shanxi for decades looks a bit thinner than in the photos, but his eyes are exceptionally bright, gleaming with shrewdness.

He didn't look at Su Yaoyang first, but walked straight to Commander Chen, a familiar and warm smile on his face, and took the initiative to extend his hand.

"Brother Chen!"

Yan Xishan smiled warmly, as if seeing an old friend he hadn't seen for many years: "It's been many years, but you're still as impressive as ever! Your Eighth Route Army's role in containing Taiyuan outside the city during this liberation was indispensable!"

Su Yaoyang was secretly surprised.

He knew that Commander Chen and Yan Xishan had crossed paths in their early years, but he did not expect their relationship to be so close.

Everyone says that this Shanxi King has extensive connections, with influence in both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, as well as in local forces. Meeting him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved.

Brigade Commander Chen smiled and shook his hand vigorously: "Brother Bochuan, you flatter us. We're just playing a supporting role. The real protagonists, the ones who make the final decision, are Commander Su and his militia!"

Su Yaoyang, standing to the side, grimaced. It's said that no one who leaves their mark on history is simple, and it's true.

In just a few words of greeting, he had already exchanged several moves, and cleverly steered the conversation back to himself. What had he done to deserve this?
Yan Xishan's gaze finally fell formally and unreservedly on Su Yaoyang.

It was a complex look in his eyes, a mixture of scrutiny, curiosity, approval, and a hint of deep-seated wariness.

He looked the young man up and down, as if trying to see through him completely.

After scrutinizing him for a full few seconds, Yan Xishan released Commander Chen's hand and extended his slightly thin but well-defined hand to Su Yaoyang.

"Young man, you must be Su Yaoyang?"

He spoke, his voice thick with a Shanxi accent, but his tone was gentle, like that of an elder from next door: "These past two years, your name has been constantly in my ears. This old man is so tired of hearing it."

Su Yaoyang immediately stepped forward, put his feet together, gave him a standard military salute, and then extended both hands to respectfully shake the outstretched hand.

Yan Xishan's hands were a little cold, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

"Commander Yan, you flatter me."

Su Yaoyang's smile was just right. "The officers were simply doing their duty as soldiers."

"duty……"

A glint flashed in Yan Xishan's cloudy eyes. He didn't let go immediately, but stared into Su Yaoyang's eyes and said meaningfully, "That word is well said."

He gently patted Su Yaoyang's hand, his tone becoming earnest.

"If every soldier does their duty, how can we not drive the Japanese out of Shanxi!"

These words sounded exceptionally high-sounding, but Su Yaoyang noticed that the corner of Commander Chen's mouth seemed to twitch slightly, as if he was trying hard to suppress a certain expression.

In fact, even Su Yaoyang himself almost couldn't help but scoff. As a first-class general appointed by the central government and commander of the Second War Zone, he only talked about Shanxi all the time, showing no vision at all.

No wonder that neither Chiang Kai-shek, Li Keqiang, Bai Keqiang, nor any other bigwigs in the Guangxi clique ever considered this old man a real threat. Even Su Yaoyang, who had just met him, could smell a petty and narrow-mindedness about him.

But after all these years of experience, I can at least pass the test in terms of facial expression management.

Su Yaoyang bowed slightly: "The sergeant's teachings will always be kept in mind."

"well!"

Yan Xishan released Su Yaoyang's hand and happily said "good" twice. The smile on his face seemed much more sincere, as if he was truly pleased with the rise of a younger generation.

He held Su Yaoyang's hand with one hand and patted the arm of his trusted general Yang Aiyuan, who had just walked over, with the other hand.

"I am extremely happy today!" His voice was strong and resonant with emotion. "Not only because of the liberation of Taiyuan, but also because I have seen young talents like you. With you here, the liberation of Shanxi is just around the corner!"

After saying that, Yan Xishan extended an invitation to the two: "Come on, it's getting late. I've already had the kitchen prepare a simple meal. Mingxi, Brother Chen, Xingru, today we won't discuss official business, we're just celebrating our victory. Please do us the honor of joining us!"

Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen exchanged a glance, both seeing knowing smiles in each other's eyes. They knew this meal was just the beginning of the real event. Neither of them declined, readily agreeing.

Lunch was quickly prepared at the small restaurant next door.

The dining table was small, a simple eight-immortal table. The dishes were, as Yan Xishan had said, "simple meals."

Two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup were placed in the center of the table. The portions were just right, enough for four people.

A plate of braised pork belly, cooked to a glossy red color, rich but not greasy; a plate of stir-fried mutton with scallions, a traditional Shanxi dish, with an irresistible aroma; a plate of stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts, all refreshing home-style dishes.

Finally, there was a bowl of light tofu and vegetable soup.

There were no delicacies or extravagance, yet the style of this "King of Shanxi" was evident everywhere... expressing both the sincerity of the celebration and showcasing his virtue of diligence and thrift.

During the meal, Yan Xishan made no mention of post-war arrangements or the distribution of spoils. Instead, he kept serving the three of them food and chatting about the local customs and anecdotes of the War of Resistance against Japan. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

After lunch, the orderly quickly cleared away the bowls and chopsticks and served each person a cup of steaming hot tea.

Yan Xishan picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, took a small sip, and then let out a long sigh.

He put down the teacup, his smile faded, and his expression became serious.

"Although Taiyuan has been liberated, there are still many things to do. I don't have much time to spend with you all, so I'll keep it brief."

His gaze swept over Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen, and he went straight to the point:

"You can take the two million silver dollars I promised you beforehand, as well as all the Japanese weapons and ammunition you captured in this battle. I, Yan, will not say a word."

This is about fulfilling a promise and demonstrating one's credibility.

Then, he changed the subject and finally revealed his true purpose.

“But I hope,” Yan Xishan drawled, slowing his speech, “that we can temporarily form a mutual aid alliance to jointly deal with the Japanese army’s upcoming counter-offensive. What do you two think?”

The moment the words "Mutual Aid Alliance" were uttered, the previously relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant instantly froze.

Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen looked up at the same time and exchanged a glance.

They both saw a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

"Here it comes, the fox's tail has finally been revealed." After a long silence, Su Yaoyang broke the deadlock. He didn't directly agree or refuse, but gently put down his teacup, raised his head, and calmly looked directly at Yan Xishan, quietly asking.

"Commander Yan!"

His voice wasn't loud, but his gaze was fixed on Yan Xishan: "If I may be so bold as to ask, what exactly is this 'mutual aid alliance' you're referring to?"

Is it a military alliance or a political alliance? What is the duration of the alliance? How should the responsibilities and obligations of each of the three parties be divided within the alliance? Who will have command authority? How will logistical support be coordinated? How will the spoils of war be distributed?

This series of questions instantly froze Yan Xishan's smile on his face.

Yan Xishan's gaze visibly faltered for a moment.

He clearly hadn't expected the young man to react so quickly. He had originally intended to use a vague concept to build a framework and get the person on board first, but the other party wasn't buying it at all and was directly asking to reveal their hand and see the terms.

"Well..."

Yan Xishan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and seemed to be organizing his thoughts before saying after a while, "This... is still a military alliance that helps each other in offense and defense."

We are all part of the anti-Japanese resistance force, so we should work together.

As for the specific responsibilities and obligations... well, we can discuss that later depending on the specific circumstances.

The most important thing now is to set up this framework first, so that the Japanese know that the anti-Japanese forces in Shanxi are united!

He rambled on and on, refusing to directly answer the core questions raised by Su Yaoyang.

Upon hearing this, Brigade Commander Chen, who had been silent all along, put down his teacup, his weathered face appearing exceptionally solemn.

"Commander Yan."

He spoke slowly, his tone polite but with a hint of displeasure: "Excuse me for being blunt, but your proposal for this alliance came rather hastily."

As the saying goes, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts," and in military cooperation, the worst thing is unclear responsibilities and unclear command.

If these most basic details aren't clarified, and if fighting breaks out, orders will be constantly changing and logistics will be passed around haphazardly. That won't be an alliance; it will be chaos, mutual buck-passing, and will ultimately hinder important matters. I think this matter should be carefully considered and planned.”

Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen immediately voiced their opposition.

They all knew perfectly well that Yan Xishan's eagerness to establish this alliance had only one purpose: to have the Eighth Route Army and the Shanxi militia, two powerful "external aids," stand at the forefront to block the first wave of Japanese attacks for his Jin-Sui Army, thus buying him precious time to consolidate defenses and strengthen his rule.

To put it bluntly, they just wanted to find two free "meat shields".

This old man Yan really thinks they're fools.

Commander Chen's phrase "we'll consider this carefully" was like a skillful Tai Chi push, directly deflecting the ball that Yan Xishan had thrown at him.

Su Yaoyang no longer wanted to play along with this cunning old fox.

Since the other party's purpose is already obvious, and I have already clearly expressed my attitude, there is no point in continuing the discussion.

He shook his head decisively, stood up abruptly, and the chair leg scraped against the ground with a slight but grating sound, breaking the awkward silence in the restaurant.

"Commander Yan."

Su Yaoyang said bluntly, "Taiyuan has been taken, and our Shanxi militia has fulfilled its promise. We hope you can hand over the promised two million silver dollars to the Ministry of Personnel as soon as possible. The Ministry of Personnel will also lead the troops back to Wutai County for rest and reorganization."

Su Yaoyang's meaning was clear: we've completed the task, it's time for you to pay.

As for that empty "alliance," he didn't even bother to mention it again.

Seeing that Su Yaoyang was about to leave, Brigade Commander Chen understood immediately and stood up, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect to Yan Xishan.

"Commander Yan, thank you for your hospitality today. I still have military duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

The two walked one after the other, their movements swift and decisive, without any hesitation, heading straight for the restaurant entrance.

Yang Aiyuan opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but after seeing Yan Xishan's gloomy face, she swallowed her words.

Yan Xishan didn't get up or say anything. He just sat quietly in his chair, his face ashen, watching Su Yaoyang and Brigade Commander Chen's figures disappear through the door. He picked up his teacup, wanting to drink some tea to calm his anger, but found that the tea was already cold, just like his mood.

"Bang!" He slammed the teacup heavily on the table.

Footsteps sounded, and an adjutant who had been waiting outside the door strode in.

He glanced at the empty doorway, then cautiously at Yan Xishan's unpleasant expression. Lowering his voice, with a hint of obsequiousness and ruthlessness, he asked, head bowed:
"Sir...this Su Yaoyang is so disrespectful to you, should we... teach him a lesson?"

Yan Xishan slowly raised his head, glanced at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, and coldly retorted, "A lesson? What kind of lesson do you intend to teach them?"

The adjutant felt uneasy under his gaze, but still braced himself and offered what he thought was a brilliant plan.

"For example... temporarily withhold the two million silver dollars promised to them. Let's deflate their arrogance!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Xishan slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and pointed at his adjutant's nose, launching into a tirade of abuse:

"Foolish! Stupid!"

His spittle nearly landed on his adjutant's face. "Don't you know the Japanese could launch a counterattack at any moment? In this critical situation, it's one thing to not try to maintain good relations with them, but you actually want to make enemies everywhere? Have you lost your mind?!"

He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and finally waved his hand and roared, "Get out of here right now!"

The adjutant was so frightened that he scrambled out of the restaurant.

Yan Xishan paced back and forth in the restaurant, his chest heaving violently.

He certainly wanted to teach Su Yaoyang a lesson, but he knew even better that now was not the time. He needed Su Yaoyang's troops, at least to act as a shield in the event of a Japanese counterattack.

Withholding those two million silver dollars might bring momentary satisfaction, but it would thoroughly enrage that tiger. When the tiger leaves and the Japanese army attacks, he himself would be the one to suffer.

"Sigh..." After a long while, he sighed and sat back down in his chair, a hint of helplessness and apprehension flashing in his eyes.

This Su Yaoyang is far more troublesome than he imagined.

(End of this chapter)