Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 271 Talking about the Third
"What did the telegram say?" Gu Yansheng asked.

Ding Mocun said, "Song Ziliang is preparing to return to Hong Kong, and he is accompanied by a negotiation team. They have also made a request that the Japanese side receive him as a person of equal rank."

"What level?"

"The telegram didn't say, but from what I heard, the lieutenant colonel in Hong Kong definitely wasn't qualified. He should at least be a colonel or a major general."

Gu Yansheng paused for a moment before saying, "There was no news until the three-way talks ended. What do you think Chongqing is trying to do by arranging negotiations at this time?"

Ding Mocun was very direct: "Anyway, I didn't have a good idea to fart."

"Of course, okay, I'll make the arrangements. When are you going to Nanjing?"

Gu Yansheng chatted for a bit, then mentioned that Ding Mocun's social affairs department was also going to be taken over and renovated from Liang Hongzhi, so he would have to go to Nanjing for a few days.

"I'll see how things go in the next few days. Or maybe we can go together when you get back?"

"Okay, it should be quick anyway, let's leave it at that for now."

Gu Yansheng hung up the phone and called Minister Zhou to tell him about it.

Minister Zhou immediately said, "I guessed what Chiang Kai-shek was up to. There was no movement from his side for the past two months. I thought Chiang Kai-shek must have some plans, otherwise he wouldn't have stopped talking so suddenly after things were going well."

It wasn't until the Gao Tao incident broke that I realized Chiang Kai-shek had been waiting for this opportunity.

When the news broke, public opinion attacked us. He wanted to make us lose face in front of the Japanese and the entire nation, so that the Japanese would give up cooperating with us.

Believe it or not, they'll definitely bring this up during these negotiations.

"I believe what you said is the real reason."

"Okay, then I'll wait for your news. As for what kind of equal treatment you need, I'll call Nanjing later and wait for him to contact you."

"Ok."

The next day, Colonel Takeo Imai came to find Gu Yansheng, and they flew to Hong Kong together.

Gu Yansheng wasn't familiar with the old Japanese devil, Takeo Imai. He had only met him two or three times, all in crowded places, and they hadn't really spoken much.

This Japanese soldier claimed to be the head of the Chinese Section of the General Staff Headquarters, so his job should have been extensive and multifaceted, but his actual work seemed to consist mainly of negotiations, all kinds of negotiations.

I talked with Wang two years ago, and now I'm talking with Jiang.

The fact that Section Chief Takeo Imai was negotiating everywhere reveals that the Japanese were not currently eager to attack Chongqing. Their domestic economy did not support a major war, so they were hoping to achieve their goal of winning without bloodshed through negotiations.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, I contacted the other party to negotiate, but they changed the location to a residential house.

"Why did you change the location?"

"The people coming here are important and don't want to be monitored by British intelligence. The hotel has already discussed this with us. We'll change to a temporary location this time to be on the safe side."

The reason was reasonable, and Lieutenant Colonel Suzuki introduced Takeo Imai's identity.

Upon hearing that it was just a colonel, Song Ziliang showed great dissatisfaction, "I said I would send someone of equal standing for the talks, and all you sent was a colonel? What, do you Japan have no generals?"

Takeo Imai smiled faintly, “Mr. Song, you misunderstand. We still don’t know what rank the person sent from Chongqing is. I am the head of the China Division and have the authority to represent Japan in responding to this matter. Therefore, the fact that General Headquarters sent me here is by no means a sign of disregard.”

"A colonel has no real power. Let me tell you, you can't negotiate with them, and they won't be satisfied either."

After finishing speaking, Song Ziliang made a phone call to say that the person had arrived.

A few minutes later, a car drove into the yard, and a group of people got out.

"Chen Chaolin, Deputy Director of the Chongqing Headquarters Staff Office".

"Zhang Yousan, Director of the Secretariat of the National Defense Council."

"Zhang Hannian, Deputy Director of the General Staff Office, Major General of the Army."

After Song Ziliang finished his introduction, he sneered at Imai Takeo, "How do you plan to negotiate? Are you even qualified?"

Takeo Imai was indeed shocked. The people who came were all of high rank. Just by their positions, you could tell that they were all close confidants of Chiang Kai-shek.

However, Takeo Imai, being a skilled negotiator, was not easily intimidated by a few words.

He greeted the group first, then explained, "It's not that we don't value it; rather, I'm in charge of the China course, and I'm indeed the highest-ranking person we can send."

Next, my superior in charge of this negotiation, General Seishiro Itagaki, the current Chief of Staff of the China Expeditionary Army, would need to be present in person.

Then your level here is not high enough again.

"In terms of rank, I am indeed one level below a major general, but in terms of status, I am the second-in-command in charge of negotiations, so this is not meant to be disrespectful to you."

The people in Chongqing discussed it in hushed tones for a few moments, but they could only grit their teeth and accept it.

"Let's leave it at that for now, but this can't be considered a formal negotiation; it's more like a preliminary negotiation."

"can."

The group sat down.

Takeo Imai also asked directly, "I wonder if President Chiang Kai-shek has given any instructions regarding the recognition of Manchuria, and when will the recognition take place?"

Zhang Yousan said, "This issue has already been discussed at the National Defense Conference. The Northeast Army generals are resisting fiercely. As you know, the military is not a one-man show."

For the president, tearing the military apart is not feasible, and for Japan, which truly yearns for peace, it does not want to see a divided government.

Therefore, let's stop discussing this matter and just accept it as such. We can wait a few years until things are peaceful before sitting down to discuss it again.

Takeo Imai wasn't so easily fooled. "But in this way, we can't see Chongqing's sincerity. During the Changsha campaign, we took the initiative to stop the offensive to show our sincerity in negotiating. Now you can't even acknowledge Manchukuo under our control. How can we believe that you really want to negotiate?"

Zhang Yousan chuckled and said, "Aren't you trying too hard to flatter yourself? I'm the meeting director, and I know the war situation perfectly well."

Did you stop the Battle of Changsha?
If you win and then withdraw, that's called a halt.

If you lose a battle and then retreat, that's called running away.

Takeo Imai couldn't stand it anymore. "Hundreds of thousands of troops were withdrawn from the Changsha front, and you call that running away?"

Zhang Yousan laughed and said, "Just because there are still hundreds of thousands of people doesn't mean we can call it a halt."

The Battle of Changsha was a victory achieved through the bravery of the Nationalist soldiers and the skillful command of the commander!

General Xue Yue, Commander-in-Chief of the Ninth War Zone, was a brilliant strategist. He cut off your food supply and inflicted heavy losses on Okamura Yasuji, which allowed you to find a way to withdraw your troops.

And is it hundreds of thousands? Maybe a hundred thousand? Saying so much to scare me won't work.

Imai Takeo's eyes widened, and he said in a deep voice, "I didn't expect that you would not appreciate our good intentions. Moreover, judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be here to negotiate, but rather to pick a fight with me."

"It was just a slip of the tongue." Zhang Yousan smiled, his attitude softening rapidly. "Mr. Imai, there's no need to be angry. Let's talk as we see fit."

I'm telling you this: we have the strength to resist. We'll negotiate on the parts that can be negotiated. If you insist on nitpicking over every little detail, then President Chiang's side will have no choice but to continue fighting.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now." Takeo Imai said calmly. "How's the matter of the North China garrison suppressing the Communists going?"

“Stationing troops is impossible; the Japanese army must have a complete withdrawal plan.” Zhang Yousan raised his hand. “Don’t worry, the purpose of the troops stationed in North China is to wipe out the Communists.”

Since that's the case, there's no need to wait until later. As long as the negotiations go smoothly, we can completely wipe out the Communist Party during this period.

"The Communists have been wiped out, and the Japanese army no longer needs to be stationed there. Am I right?"

This was clearly not what the Japanese troops stationed in North China expected, but Chongqing's statement on the surface was indeed correct.

"How do you plan to wipe them out?" Takeo Imai asked.

Zhang Yousan said, "The President said that as long as the Japanese are willing to agree to our conditions and show sincerity, the President can order Commander Yan to join forces with the Japanese army to strangle the Communist army's main base in North China."

"The Eighth Route Army headquarters in the Taihang Mountains?" "That's right. Aren't you using a cage policy against the Communist army in North China? As long as we cooperate, the Eighth Route Army will have no chance of escaping."

"What conditions?"

“Kill Wang Ni.”

Takeo Imai was thrilled when he heard about the good news of a joint effort to strangle Japan. Regardless of whether the negotiations would ultimately succeed, the very idea of ​​a joint effort to strangle Japan would cause the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to turn against each other and greatly weaken the anti-Japanese forces.

The result was actually this condition?
"Impossible. The Great Japanese Empire would not assassinate its own allies; it's a matter of credibility."

"What kind of allies are they? Aren't they just a bunch of traitors?"

After Zhang Yousan finished speaking, he slowly turned his head and glanced at Gu Yansheng and Mei Siping.

Gu Yansheng isn't a traitor, why are you looking at him?

“And there are also lackeys,” Zhang Yousan added.

That's it.

“That’s impossible. If you insist on this condition, then there’s no point in even talking.” Takeo Imai said rather coldly.

Zhang Yousan scoffed, "Your reputation is already ruined, so why bother persisting?"

Takeo Imai sneered, "Using the Eighth Route Army headquarters as a cover, your real purpose is still to get us to kill Mr. Wang. Fine, go and wipe out all the Communists first, and then we'll talk about whether to kill him or not, okay?"

Mr. Zhang, could you please reduce these kinds of probing questions?
You can't kill all the Communists first, and I can't kill Mr. Wang first. You understand the logic, so there's no need to explain further.

Furthermore, I can tell you that even if we wipe out all the Communists, we will not kill Mr. Wang. This is a matter of basic credibility.

Zhang Yousan paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, then we'll take a step back. The matter of Wang's rebellion is our own business. Let us resolve it ourselves after we form a joint government."

However, the prerequisite is that Japan cannot support Wang Jingwei in establishing a new government; this is the bottom line.

This question is easy to answer. Takeo Imai gave a direct deadline: "If we can reach an agreement by the end of March, the new government will not be formed."

"Time is too tight."

"You've been too slow. You didn't start talking two months earlier. Now we only have so much time. The headquarters isn't run by one person. By then, a new government will definitely be established."

"You are pushing us toward a breakdown in peace talks."

"You just need to hurry up."

Zhang Yousan let out a deep breath, "We will discuss this matter after the meeting and seek instructions. Let's talk about other things first."

The negotiation terms remain the same, with back-and-forth negotiations going on and on. Other terms seem open to negotiation, depending on Chongqing's stance.

The negotiations have made progress.

There are now three contradictions.

First, how to deal with Wang Ni's matter.

Second, the issue of troops stationed in North China.

Third, recognize Manchukuo.

The first and third points are highly controversial. As for the second point, the suppression of the Communists is still open to discussion.

"Okay, I'll go back and ask the president for his opinion on the other two points, but you don't need to have too high hopes."

Regarding the Manchukuo issue, I've already given you my reasons. If the President can't do it, he simply can't. Chongqing also has various military systems. If we acknowledge it now, the situation will worsen.

As for the matter of Wang Jingwei, it can only be resolved through internal channels. We will not sign any government-to-government contracts with him.

As for the issue of stationing troops in North China, just as I said, we should join forces to suppress the Communists. As long as our war ends, we can begin now.

Of course, in terms of the plan, we will not join you in the attack. You can blockade your territory or send puppet troops to assist you in the attack. We will eliminate the Communists from our own perspective.

If you can accept that, we can continue talking; if you can't, then we don't need to talk anymore.

The suppression of the Communists was definitely a good thing for the Japanese army.

"There's no problem with the anti-communist operation; I'll report back as soon as possible."

"There are two more issues. I hope you can also try your best to persuade your military to stop insisting on this, otherwise the peace talks will not be able to continue."

“I can give it a try, but don’t get your hopes up, Mr. Zhang. Some conditions can’t be met at the same time.”

"That's all for now. Contact Mr. Song again if you make any progress."

People from Chongqing are leaving.

"Let's go too."

Takeo Imai led the way and left.

Return to Shanghai.

Gu Yansheng first went to report the situation to Minister Zhou.

As long as the Japanese don't abandon the Wang faction, whether the negotiations succeed or not isn't necessarily a bad thing for them.

Judging from the current situation, it has no impact on the Wang faction, so let's continue to push forward the handover of the new government.

After speaking with Minister Zhou, Gu Yansheng went to find Shen Linshen and told him that the Kuomintang might be conspiring with the Japanese to attack the Eighth Route Army headquarters.

"I'll send the message out immediately." Shen Linshen's expression was serious; this message was extremely important. "That's the 129th Division."

"Yes, the 129th Division." One of the three main divisions of our Party.

"With so many high-ranking officials from Chongqing participating in the peace talks, does Chiang Kai-shek really intend to compromise?"

"If the Japanese agree to all his conditions and withdraw their troops unconditionally, it's not impossible, but do you think the Japanese would agree to withdraw their troops?"

"Probably not." Shen Linshen also had his own judgment.

However, Gu Yansheng's voice was more certain: "It is definitely not. There are conflicting conditions here. Chongqing wants the Japanese to withdraw their troops, and the Japanese may not necessarily be unable to withdraw their troops, but the premise for withdrawal is that Chongqing must recognize Manchukuo."

Otherwise, once the troops withdraw, Chongqing can send its forces to the Northeast, and the Manchukuo that the Japanese have conquered will be gone again.

Shen Linshen suddenly understood everything after being enlightened.

"Therefore, the Japanese demanded that troops be stationed in North China not only for the purpose of suppressing the Communists, but also to prevent Chongqing from taking action against Manchukuo."

The Japanese cannot withdraw their troops unless one of the following is agreed upon: stationing troops in North China or recognizing Manchukuo.

If they don't withdraw their troops, their peace talks will never reach an agreement.

Because Chiang Kai-shek could not possibly recognize Manchukuo. If he wanted to recognize Manchukuo's independence, the Northeast Army generals would have to split, and his position would be unstable.

No wonder Shen Linshen had wondered before, was it really that important for Japan to be so concerned about whether or not it recognized Manchukuo?

That's really important.

Chongqing casually remarked that it didn't matter whether Manchukuo was recognized or not, and that they would postpone the matter for a few years, but that was not the case at all.

“That’s right.” Gu Yansheng nodded. “So sending more or less people won’t help. If these two core conflicts aren’t resolved, there’s no way they can expect to succeed in negotiations.”

I suspect that Chiang Kai-shek's current intention is to use this opportunity to force the Japanese to cease hostilities and then annihilate our troops—this is a tangible benefit for him.

"I'll report right away!"

(End of this chapter)