The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

The Nationalist government's two Eastern Expeditions unified Guangdong province, making it a prominent revolutionary base. Guo Moruo not only visited Guangzhou, but Mao Dun, the editor of Story Club, also suggested relocating the magazine to Guangdong. The fourth Whampoa Military Academy enrollment was a spectacular success, with over ten thousand applicants.

Intellectuals who believed in new ideas flocked to Guangzhou, causing an instant explosion of talent at the National Guangdong University, which was only established in 1924.

Chen Tianheng could sense this atmosphere as he walked around campus. But his biggest concern right now was whether Guangdong University Medical School (formerly Guangdong Public Medical University) had enough talent to develop new drugs.

"Captain, are you walking alone again?"

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, yes."

Zuo Quan: "That's strange. You said before that officers need to be trained in science and engineering to adapt to modern warfare."

"That's true, but I already have enough science and engineering thinking, absolutely enough, so," Chen Tianheng waved goodbye, "Now I'm going to get some literary education."

As an auditor, Chen Tianheng chose a slightly remote corner in the classroom to sit down, but when the students of Guangdong University saw a Whampoa officer appear in the classroom, they all stood up and applauded.

"Thank you, thank you everyone. Well, I've been approved by the school to come to Guangdong University to audit classes. I think it's best not to disrupt the teaching. You've all been clapping for so long that the teacher can't speak. Why don't we all sit down and listen to the class?"

Chen Tianheng spoke to the students sincerely for a while before they finally sat down. But a few girls kept looking back, their eyes full of stars when they saw Chen Tianheng.

Lu Xun coughed on the stage and said, "Hey, officer, why do you look so familiar to me?"

Chen Tianheng: "Mr. Zhou, I attended your lecture on the History of Chinese Fiction at Fudan University in Shanghai in 12."

Lu Xun: "What a coincidence. So, what's your name?"

"Chen Tianheng is now an officer in the First Army of the National Revolutionary Army. When he took your class at Fudan University, he was the librarian at Fudan University."

"Oh," Lu Xun nodded, "then I wish you a successful Northern Expedition. I'm a scholar, not good at military affairs, and I feel deeply saddened by the countless lives lost in the war. But I still hope to see the revolutionary army's Northern Expedition bring about a complete transformation of China."

Chen Tianheng: "Of course, this is the goal of the revolutionary army. And in the future, you can also say that although you did not participate in the Northern Expedition, one of my students did and made military achievements."

Lu Xun: "Chen Tianheng, do you want to be my student?"

……

It was not uncommon for Lu Xun to come to Guangzhou, just as he had previously come from Beijing to Shanghai to give guest lectures at Fudan University.

Lu Xun was once an employee of the Beiyang Government's Ministry of Education and worked part-time in literature, but now that he has resigned from the Beiyang Ministry of Education, he will not be subject to any restrictions when giving lectures in Guangzhou, the "revolutionary center" in the south.

Lu Xun's essays are short and sharp, but the class he taught today, the history of Chinese literature, was actually quite rigorous or even boring. After a very long class, Lu Xun rarely "stayed in class" to chat with the students for a few more words.

"Not everyone who attends my lectures will become a writer, just as not all literature graduates become writers," Lu Xun said. "The key is that through what I teach, you can gain a precise understanding of the history of Chinese literature and gain a clear understanding of what China's literary achievements, from ancient to modern times, represent."

Chen Tianheng: "It's true that literature and Chinese departments aren't designed to train writers, and those who can write novels and articles aren't necessarily literary figures. However, even in the military, writing skills are still necessary. Moreover, soldiers also enjoy reading novels during their free time."

Lu Xun: "I think they don't read my novels, but more likely read Story Club and Story King."

Chen Tianheng: "Yes."

Lu Xun: "I'm going to include 'Story Club' in my curriculum. It's a real tumor in contemporary literature. I don't know who came up with the idea to create this kind of writing. ... But having said that, this tumor is generally a benign one."

Chen Tianheng: “…”

……

"Chen Tianheng? Chen Tianheng!"

At eight o'clock the next morning, Chen Tianheng heard Ye Jianying shouting loudly downstairs.

When he woke up, Chen Tianheng remembered that he was no longer in the military camp, but in a hotel room in Guangzhou.

Chen Tianheng quickly put on his clothes and looked back. The girl on the bed was still sleeping soundly.

"Director Ye!" Chen Tianheng opened the window. "Wait a moment, wait a moment!"

"...Director Ye!" Chen Tianheng saluted after opening the door, then said to the girl next to him, "He's the Director of the Teaching Department of the Whampoa Military Academy, Deputy Chief of Staff of the First Division, Ye. He's my superior. Director Ye, this is, this is..."

"Dai Xiaoxue." "Yes, Dai Xiaoxue, my classmate at Guangdong University."

Ye Jianying looked at Chen Tianheng, then at the young girl from Guangdong University, who was dressed but still had her hair disheveled. His face showed no unusual expression, and he said in the tone of someone who had experienced this and was not surprised, "Luckily, Zuo Quan and Jiang Xianyun knew the address where you were staying today, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to find you."

"I left them my address in advance just in case a mission suddenly canceled my vacation."

"The vacation hasn't been canceled," Ye Jianying said. "It's just that there's something urgent. The Soviet advisory group wants to understand the firearms situation of the First Division of the Communist Army. They want to know whether it's necessary to replace the troops with Mosin-Nagant repeating rifles. Let's go to the Military Commission."

……

Chen Tianheng's entire regiment is now equipped with Type 38 rifles. With increasing Soviet military aid, Mosin-Nagants are now being unloaded in Guangzhou. While both are bolt-action rifles, the Mosin-Nagant has one advantage: its ammunition is compatible with the heavy machine guns of the regiments and battalions.

"There's a bit of a conflict between Ji Shangjia and Chiang Kai-shek right now, and the two sides are competing with each other, which isn't a good thing," Ye Jianying said. "But the standardization of rifles is the responsibility of the equipment advisors under the Military Advisory Group. They haven't been influenced by Ji Shangjia and are doing their job."

Chen Tianheng: "Ji Shangjia has made some adjustments, but the most controversial one is the suspension of the Northern Expedition plan."

"It's widely rumored that Ji Shangjia came on behalf of the Soviet Union to suspend the Northern Expedition in Guangdong. They found a national army in the north, and they thought that supporting the national army and supporting Guangdong were the same thing. ...How could they be the same thing?"

Chen Tianheng: "If we only consider eliminating the Japanese threat to the Soviet Far East, it is one thing. Whether the Northern Expedition from Guangdong reaches Beijing, or the Nationalist Army suddenly sends troops back to Beijing, it can eliminate the pro-Japanese northern warlords and thus ensure the security of the Soviet Far East."

"What kind of logic is this?" Ye Jianying said. "Chen Tianheng, there's something you might not know. The Communist Party fully supports Ji Shangjia's work. The Communist Party unconditionally agrees with all of Ji Shangjia's decisions."

"To be precise, it should be the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China."

Chen Tianheng thought that since the Guangdong District Committee was almost entirely composed of people who had returned from studying abroad, it was not surprising that they unconditionally supported Ji Shangjia, and Ji Shangjia also offered good conditions to the Guangdong District Committee.

Ye Jianying: "It's the same thing. I've said it long ago that the Chinese revolution can't rely on foreigners, at least not entirely."

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Ah!"

Two people were walking on the road when they suddenly heard a noise in front of them. Judging from the noise, it seemed that someone was fighting.

Ye Jianying: "Look, look, another foreigner, another foreigner coming to China to cause trouble!"

The two of them ran a few steps, and Ye Jianying's two guards followed behind. Sure enough, there was a fight going on in the street ahead, but the fight had already been decided. The standing winner was a tall white man, about 9 meters tall, with a high nose, deep blue eyes, and staggering, his breath reeking of alcohol.

Chen Tianheng is very familiar with this person.

Isn’t this the electrical engineer Otto Scholes who had a fight with Mao Runzhi at the Anyuan Railway Mine?

"Stop it! How dare you hit someone in broad daylight?"

Ye Jianying shouted, and his guards stepped forward to restrain Otto. Chen Tianheng looked down and saw the beaten man lying face down in the dirt, motionless and silent for a long time.

Chen Tianheng: "This guy might have been beaten up. If anyone has time, please help him up."

The citizens nearby helped the person who was beaten up.

"Oh, isn't this the translator from the Grand Marshal's Mansion?"

"Yes, I saw him with Borodin."

Ho Chi Minh, who had fallen to the ground, was helped up, but his face and body were still covered in mud. It took him a while to catch his breath. He pointed at Otto and said fiercely: "You foreign devil, you dare to hit me?! Listen carefully, I will remember you, don't let me get you into my hands again!"

Chapter 74

January 4, 1926. Guangdong University.

Higher Normal School Auditorium.

Chen Tianheng walked into the venue in military uniform and sat down in his seat.

在陈天衡身后是钱大钧，1师2团团长。钱大钧后面是蒋鼎文，1师3团团长。蒋鼎文后面是刘峙，2师4团团长……

The nine regimental commanders of the 1st Army had gathered for a meeting. As for He Yingqin, the commander of the 1st Division, he was sitting in the first three rows.

Chiang Kai-shek was on the rostrum. The banner hanging above the rostrum read:

The Second National Congress of the Kuomintang

……

That’s right, Chen Tianheng came here to attend the Second National Congress of the Kuomintang.

Not a stenographer, but an official representative.

The story of this incident begins with the preparations for the Second National Congress of the Kuomintang. In November of the previous year, when the Kuomintang established the Preparatory Committee for the Second National Congress and the Committee for Examining the Qualifications of Delegates to the Second National Congress, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei had a fierce argument.

Wang Jingwei is now Chairman Wang, and he has been famous throughout the country since he assassinated the Regent Zaifeng as a teenager. Party members of the Kuomintang across the country may not know Chiang Kai-shek or Hu Hanmin, but they definitely know Wang Jingwei and "Drawing the sword into one piece, not letting down the youth."

After forming a secret rivalry with Wang Jingwei, Chiang Kai-shek strongly demanded that the committee expand the number of representatives from the party and army to the Second Congress.

Chiang Kai-shek's core objective was to place his own men among the delegates to the Second Congress, rather than giving delegates to the various new warlords within the six armies of the National Revolutionary Army. After finally securing delegates, Chiang Kai-shek directly sent officers from the regimental command and above of the 1st Army to the Second Congress.

At the current venue of the Second Congress, among the 260 representatives, there are more than 20 officers from the Whampoa Military Academy and the 1st Army in military uniforms, sitting neatly in a row.

Chen Tianheng's soy sauce meeting has begun.

Of course, he was just there to watch. Chen Tianheng was certain that during the meeting, Wang's faction would engage in a back-and-forth exchange of sharp words with Chiang Kai-shek, either overtly or covertly. But what did this have to do with Chen Tianheng?

Ah, Chen Tianheng is indeed a platinum-level assist, but only the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee member and Acting Minister of Propaganda sitting in the 7th position in the front row can activate his assist skill.

Of course, when it came to the final vote, I still had to raise my hands to stand on Chiang Kai-shek's side.

So, Chen Tianheng sat there without saying a word for the entire morning, studying the conference materials diligently.

"Chen Tianheng, why are you taking this so seriously?"

Qian Dajun, the head of the 2nd Regiment on the right, came over. Chen Tianheng generously revealed his secret to Qian Dajun: among the meeting materials was a copy of "Story Club".

"Ah, hahaha, you," Qian Dajun laughed, "you really have a way. This meeting will be boring. We warriors really don't understand these political matters."

Chen Tianheng: "Yes, it's our turn only when there's a show of hands to vote. The rest of the time we're just there to show our support."

Qian Dajun: "Brother Chen, could you lend me this storybook after you finish reading it?"

……

At noon on the first day of the meeting, the delegates dispersed and took a group photo.

"Hello, Minister Mao."

Mao Runzhi also extended his hand and shook hands with Chen Tianheng: "Oh, Colonel Chen Tianheng, hello."

Chen Tianheng turned to Xia Xi next to him and said, "Hello, Comrade Xia."

Xia Xi grinned but said nothing, her shoulders trembling a few times to suppress her laughter: "Hello, Captain Chen."

Xia Xi not only knew Chen Tianheng's party membership, but he was also Chen Tianheng's direct superior. Mao Runzhi was the first secretary of the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, and Xia Xi is the current secretary.

After taking the group photo, the representatives socialized and chatted on the lawn. The three of them continued to exchange a few words, and Chen Tianheng planned to find other people to chat with.

"Xia Xi, I need a book, The Unification Record of the Tongmenghui. It's on the second shelf of my study. Please bring it to me tomorrow."

"Ok."

"Also, please bring me a clean shirt. Kaihui has one hanging out to dry."

"no problem."

Mao Runzhi's words to Xia Xi surprised Chen Tianheng: "Minister Mao, don't you... live in your own home?!"

The salary of the Kuomintang Propaganda Minister was not low (Mao Runzhi was owed wages when he was working at the Kuomintang Shanghai Party Headquarters). After Mao Runzhi went to work in Guangzhou, he brought Yang Kaihui and his two sons with him and rented a spacious detached house in the eastern part of Guangzhou for the whole family to live in.

Mao Runzhi: "Yeah, yeah."

Xia Xi: "Ah...hi!"

Chen Tianheng: “?”

Xia Xi: "Okay, let's put it this way. Cai Hesen's family exploded, and this huge explosion set Secretary Mao's backyard on fire."

Chen Tianheng: “…”

Cai Hesen and Xiang Jingyu met while studying in Changsha. They were both familiar with Mao Runzhi and Yang Kaihui. When they confirmed their relationship, they even wrote a joint letter to Mao Runzhi announcing the establishment of the "Cai-Xiang Alliance."

Last June, Cai Hesen's asthma and stomach problems worsened due to overwork, so the central government temporarily asked him to leave his work at the Central Propaganda Department and send him north to do relatively easy organizational work while he received medical treatment in Beijing. Three months later, Cai Hesen returned to Shanghai to find that his family had been in turmoil.

Peng Shuzhi also worked in the Propaganda Department and was the editor-in-chief of the Party journal, The Guide. To facilitate their work, Cai Hesen and his wife, along with Peng Shuzhi and his wife, all lived together in a small building rented by the Guide editorial office. During these three months, Xiang Jingyu and Peng Shuzhi began to develop a romantic relationship.

Furious, Cai Hesen reported the affair between Peng and Xiang to the Central Committee. At the end of a Politburo meeting, Cai Hesen suddenly stood up and said, "While I was away from Shanghai, Comrade Jingyu and Comrade Shuzhi became romantically involved... She has confessed this to me."

So this matter alarmed the central government.

"Wait a minute, Minister Mao and Sister Kaihui both think Xiang Jingyu was wrong. The only difference is that Sister Kaihui thinks it was inappropriate for Cai Hesen to bring this up at the Politburo meeting?"

Xia Xi: "Yes. Sister Kaihui thinks it would be best for the two to divorce quickly. Now, because Cai Hesen mentioned this matter at the Politburo meeting, Chen Duxiu decided to send Cai Hesen and Xiang Jingyu to Moscow to help them repair their relationship. Secretary Mao thinks..."

Mao Runzhi: "Stop talking, stop talking. It's fine to stay in a hotel for a few days."

……

Now Cai Hesen, Xiang Jingyu, and Li Lisan's widow Li Yichun are on their way to the Soviet Union.

Chen Duxiu hoped that Cai Xiang and Peng Shuzhi could repair their relationship after they were away from each other.

But their marriage...is likely irreparable. Of course, that's limited to their marriage. Even if they divorced later, they would still be revolutionary comrades.

The second National Congress of the Kuomintang will not be short and will last for many days.

The "Xishan Conference Group" that emerged in November last year and opposed the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was completely rejected. Wang Jingwei's re-examination of the policy of alliance with Russia and tolerance of the Communist Party could not be denied. The leading members of the Xishan Conference Group, Zou Lu and Xie Zhi, were expelled from the party forever.