The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Ye Jianying also got the ticket to become a division commander/deputy division commander.

The 20th Division was formed after Wang Maogong was captured. It was the framework of a force that Wang Maogong recruited with the support of the Soviet Union. It looked like the prototype of a division.

There were two such undeveloped divisions. After Chiang Kai-shek took control of them, he gave them the numbers of the 20th Division and the 21st Division respectively, and both would be incorporated into the 1st Army in the future.

It can be seen here that the 1st Army is getting bigger and bigger, but now is not the time when the 1st Army is at its largest. At its peak, it had 9 divisions under its command.

"Down with the reactionary officer Liu Zhi!"

"Down with Liu Zhi!"

"Guangzhou workers and peasants petition!" "We demand the reinstatement of Commander Wang!"

"Commander Wang is reinstated!"

"Old Liu, you are now the target of public criticism."

Chen Tianheng was at the Guangzhou Garrison Command and the Second Division Headquarters. When he heard the slogans shouted by the masses outside the headquarters during the petition march, he made a joke to Liu Zhi.

Liu Zhi rubbed his head and said, "I know. That's why I've been staying out of the spotlight lately, and I've also asked the 2nd Division's troops to stay out of the barracks less."

Chen Tianheng: "But it's strange. Don't these people outside know that Wang Maogong has been escorted out of the country on a government-funded inspection trip?"

"Perhaps the KMT party headquarters hasn't announced it yet. They only announced the appointment and dismissal decisions, but didn't say how to deal with them."

Chen Tianheng came to Liu Zhi's place to reminisce about the past. The two of them had become somewhat close, after all, having both emerged from the bloody battle of Mianhu. Another reason was that the 4th Regiment of the 2nd Division was the regimental unit with the most members of the War Research Society, aside from the 1st Regiment.

At the garrison headquarters, Chen Tianheng also arranged rotation training for the Second Division. The Second Division had been stationed in Guangzhou for two months, and there was no place for training in the city. Without training, the troops would become useless and everyone would become a guard of etiquette.

Starting next week, the Second Division will rotate by battalion, with one-third of the battalions returning to Whampoa's Cheung Chau Island for training each time to maintain their form.

……

"Commander Chen, you're here."

Chen Tianheng: "Second Aunt, just call me Tianheng, don't call me Commander. ... Second Aunt, I am deeply sorry for your loss."

Uncle Chen's home.

Although he was not the time traveler's father, this Uncle Chen Qixian still passed away.

As the nephew of Uncle Chen, Chen Tianheng naturally had to attend Uncle Chen's funeral. Moreover, Uncle Chen's family had no male heirs, so Chen Tianheng was even more needed to come forward at this time.

"Chen Tianheng, don't you have a girlfriend? Why don't you come today?"

Chen Yingwen, the only daughter of Chen Erbo who returned from Hong Kong, one of the five major Chinese businessmen in Hong Kong, and a mysterious and low-key wealthy woman.

"Hey, a man's wife can't appear at this event. I think this is the custom in Guangzhou. Besides, she's just his girlfriend."

Chen Ying: "Oh... No, then what am I?"

Chen Tianheng: "You are not a wife of a later generation, but a daughter. However, a daughter...appearing here is a special case, because no one is as rich as you."

"I haven't really learned much about these old customs for weddings and funerals. My family didn't teach me, and I don't want to learn. After our generation, and the next generation, the inheritance of these customs will probably be broken."

Chen Tianheng: "Oh, right, there are some adjustments to the plan. I don't think I'll need any money in the first half of this year. I might need it in the second half, but not as much as expected. I'll just continue to lend out the money."

Chen Ying: "Cousin, do you know how much money you have now?"

"I know. You have bills."

Taking advantage of the funeral, the two met and revised the business plan for this year and next year.

In addition, they also pulled a telephone line to Uncle Chen's house and installed a telephone.

Chen Tianheng had already received the notice from his superiors. Chen Duxiu had first written to Xia Xi, but Xia Xi was busy with affairs in Hunan, so he had to pass the letter on to Mao Runzhi, who then passed it on to Chen Tianheng. After receiving the notice, Chen Tianheng adjusted his plans.

In the past year, Xia Xi and the entire Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China have been criticized by the "Communist International faction" within the party, who say that they are too enthusiastic about cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.

After the First National Congress of the Kuomintang in January 1924, Xia Xi was the alternate member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang and its special commissioner in Hunan.

Over the next year, Xia Xi, Guo Liang, He Shuheng, and Li Weihan, starting as a KMT group in Hunan, developed the organization into the KMT provincial party committee in early 1926. They established the KMT's first provincial propaganda department, executive committee, supervisory committee, and peasant movement committee outside of Guangdong. It can be said that the entire KMT organization in Hunan was built by Xia Xi and the leaders of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The Communist International criticized Xia Xi for being too enthusiastic about the Kuomintang. The same words were used to criticize Mao Runzhi, saying that he was addicted to being the Kuomintang's Propaganda Minister.

Xia Xi and Mao Runzhi refuted all such criticisms. Currently, only the KMT Central Committee had a Peasant Department, and the KMT also ran the Peasant Movement Training Institute in Guangzhou. This account can be separated; the training institute was funded by the KMT itself, not the Soviet Union. Therefore, promoting the peasant movement in Hunan required the KMT's banner. Without it, peasant work would be twice as effective with half the effort.

In the past year, the peasant movement in Hunan has flourished at a faster pace than ever before. With the financial support of Mao Runmin Trading Company, the farmers' associations and farmers' workers' unions in Hengyang area have risen again. In fact, throughout Hunan, from southern Hunan to the Hunan-Hubei border, there are farmers' association activities in all rural areas along the longitudinal line.

They organized peasant struggles, restricted large landowners, restricted the arming of landlords' retainers, sorted out village and community wealth, cracked down on illegal landlords and vendors, and even organized peasant self-defense forces. By 1926, the number of peasant self-defense forces in Hunan had reached nearly 10,000.

Therefore, after receiving Chen Duxiu's letter of instructions, Xia Xi felt relieved: the Central Committee, mainly Chen Duxiu, remained calm and insisted on their own ideas in this regard.

Chapter 82

"All of them——"

"stand at attention--"

On March 8, 1926, at the Whampoa Military Academy, freshmen from the fourth class, after two weeks of simple drill training, marched in formation. Over 3 people stood in formation on the main parade ground, filling the entire field, as the rostrum and the viewing platforms on either side watched.

The military band played music throughout the event until all the fourth-term students entered the venue. Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai gave speeches in turn.

"I'm tired of cleaning. This Huangpu military song is really inspiring."

The band had taken a break, the members whispering among themselves. The trombonist, perhaps a recent recruit, was still sighing with admiration after playing the few pieces he had.

"Some of them are foreign tunes with new lyrics, like 'Brother Jacques,' but interestingly, I found that the Strong Army Song and the Target Practice Song are original creations," said the oboe near the trombonist.

"Of course I know which ones are original and which ones are borrowed," the trombonist said. "I studied vocal music, too. I'm just saying, those two original pieces are amazing, especially the Target Song. I think they're on par with famous Western songs."

Oboe: "I feel it's still not as good as famous Western pieces like Radetzky, Grenadiers, and York Regiment. But there are very few composers in China who can write Western rhythmic music, and even fewer who can write marches with complex instrumentation like military music. Even if they are mediocre, it's worth encouraging."

"Worthy of encouragement?! You're amazing."

Oboe: “Yes, that’s what I feel.”

"Can you write one for me?"

"I'm going to study at Peking University's Music Institute at the end of the year. I'll try again after I graduate."

Chen Tianheng and a group of First Army officers were reviewing the freshmen of the fourth term on the left viewing platform, right next to the military band. The conversation between the two band members piqued his interest.

"Oboe, what do you think of the current military songs at Whampoa? Which one is better?"

"The melody of the Strong Army Song is average, but it sounds good because of the wonderful arrangement. The melody of the Target Practice Song is very good, so I still prefer the Target Practice Song."

"Whose general is this? No, who is this?" Chen Tianheng had a bad feeling and stared at the oboe.

"I'm a preparatory student at Lingnan University. I'm the conductor of the school orchestra, but I also play the oboe. My name is Xian Xinghai."

……

There are more than 1200 students in the third term, which is equivalent to the sum of the first and second terms, which is already an exaggeration. The total number of students in the fourth term is more than double that of the third term, reaching 2700.

Chen Tianheng looked at the huge crowd of people and thought to himself: This time I will have a lot of choices when picking out famous general cards.

Jiang Xianyun: "The principal spoke to me and asked me to suspend the activities of the Young Military Association among the fourth batch of students. As a reciprocal condition, the Sun Yat-sen Society also stopped its activities at Huangpu."

Chen Tianheng: "Because the third-term students fought again?"

Chen Geng: "Yeah, more than 30 people were fighting on the playground. That scene was, wow."

In fact, in this dimension now, there are very few fights between members of the Sun Yat-sen Society and the Qingjun Society, but even the one or two that do happen occasionally can cause people a headache.

This is the Whampoa Military Academy, the cradle of the National Revolutionary Army.

Chen Tianheng: "Yu Jishi just told me that the principal went to Guangzhou to talk with Ji Shangjia, but the two sides still couldn't reach an agreement."

Chen Geng: "The Soviet Union is really interesting. It's clear that Kishanka and the president had a deep conflict, but they allowed Borodin to return to the Soviet Union to recuperate, allowing Kishanka to serve as both the chief military and political advisor. By the way, what exactly did Kishanka and Chiang Kai-shek discuss?"

"Yu Jishi doesn't know either. He's the captain of the guard, and he stood outside the door while the two were chatting. He knew they left the room angrily without even shaking hands," Chen Tianheng spread his hands. "However, I can still find another person who can get information."

"Come on, let's go."

Chen Tianheng gulped down his wine. Ho Chi Minh also drank the wine from his small cup alone.

Chen Tianheng: "The foreigner who beat you last time, Otto Scholes, has been expelled from the Guangzhou government. We won't see him again."

Ho Chi Minh: "Damn, this foreign devil."

"Also, he's not actually British or American, but an Austrian German," Chen Tianheng said. "Old Li (Ho Chi Minh's current pseudonym is Li Annan), the day before yesterday, Ki San Gia and Commander-in-Chief Chiang had a meeting, and they reportedly had an argument?"

Ho Chi Minh was present at the time and served as the translator for the Soviet advisory group.

Chiang Kai-shek sought out Ji Shangjia because of the situation in the north.

In December of the previous year, Feng Yuxiang's Nationalist Army, taking advantage of the intensification of the anti-Fengtian War, suddenly marched eastward, occupied Beijing and Tianjin, and expelled Duan Qirui. In January 1926, Feng Yuxiang issued a telegram to resign, but the Nationalist Army still controlled Zhili, Beijing, and Tianjin.

The Zhili clique quickly launched a counterattack. Wu Peifu and Zhang Zuolin joined forces and signed a secret agreement to jointly eliminate Feng Yuxiang. The Zhili-Fengtian coalition and Feng Yuxiang's Nationalist Army simultaneously engaged in major battles in Shanhaiguan, Shandong, and Henan.

In other words, by February 1926, the elite forces of the Zhili and Fengtian warlords were all focused on fighting Feng Yuxiang. Judging by Feng Yuxiang's resilience (with Soviet munitions), the battle would likely last several months. The Zhili army responsible for defending and monitoring the Nationalist government in the south was small and not a major force. This was the perfect time for a Northern Expedition.

However, Ji Shangjia proposed another "Northern Expedition" plan: Don't fight from the ground. The Soviet Union will find some ships for you, and you can transport the National Revolutionary Army to Tianjin. After landing in Tianjin, you can directly attack the Zhi-Feng Allied Forces. Wouldn't that be better?

Chiang Kai-shek asked, "Will Feng Yuxiang obey the orders of the National Revolutionary Army?" Ji Shangjia replied, "The troops you sent to Tianjin are to assist the National Revolutionary Army in combat, and the command will naturally be given to Feng Yuxiang."

Chiang Kai-shek immediately got angry.

Ji Shangjia proposed another plan. Since you don't want to give up the military power in your hands, the Guangzhou National Government can also draw some students from Huangpu as the backbone of officers, and the Soviet Union will transport them to Vladivostok for you to form a new national army there, and then enter the Northeast from Vladivostok to support Feng Yuxiang.

Chiang Kai-shek became even angrier after hearing this.

How did Feng Yuxiang's Nationalist Army become the Soviet Union's favorite child? What about the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government? What about the Whampoa Military Academy?

Ji Shanjia gave Chiang Kai-shek another standard answer.

The National Revolutionary Army started its uprising in a corner of Guangdong and had to pass through so many provinces to fight its way to Beijing. Not only was the journey long, but there were also armies of various Zhili warlords and branch warlords along the way. Even if the main forces of Zhili and Fengtian fought Feng Yuxiang in North China and Northwest China, those non-main forces still had 700,000 to 800,000 people. The National Revolutionary Army now had 200,000 people, so how could they defeat them?

Moreover, while the Soviet Union supported the Chinese revolution, its support was limited. It was impossible for the Guangzhou Revolutionary Government to establish a Northern Expeditionary Army of several hundred thousand, or even hundreds of thousands, to march from Guangzhou to Beijing. The current seven armies, with 200,000 men, were more than sufficient. To establish a Northern Expeditionary Army of several hundred thousand would have bankrupted the Soviet Union itself.

"Comrade Kissanka, does the Soviet Union want to split China?"

Chiang Kai-shek finally slammed the table.

"The Soviet Union doesn't have this idea. It has always believed that there is only one China. Whether it's Feng Yuxiang, you, or Zhang Zuolin in the Northeast, the areas occupied are all Chinese. It's only to reduce the financial exploitation of the war and the harm to the people that we need to adopt the plan with the least bloodshed. After eliminating the Zhili warlords, you, the troops and powerful groups that participated in eliminating the Zhili warlords, can sit down and negotiate the establishment of a new country."

Chiang Kai-shek: "Could it be to establish a member republic like the Soviet Union?"

Ji Shanjia: "Well said, why can't we think in this direction?"

……

"Colonel Chen, things in China are very complicated."

After Ho Chi Minh recounted to Chen Tianheng the latest meeting between Chiang Kai-shek and Kisan Gia, he spoke to Chen Tianheng meaningfully.

Chen Tianheng: "If a foreign group agreed to aid your 'Annam Patriots Group in France', but on the condition that Vietnam be divided into North and South after the victory of the revolution, would you agree?"

Ho Chi Minh: "How do you know the Soviet Union didn't mention this? They insisted that Indochina was a geographical concept consisting of three countries: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia."

Chen Tianheng: “…”

Yes, what was eventually born out of Ho Chi Minh’s “Annam Patriots Group in France” was the Indochinese Communist Party, which included the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the Indochina Peninsula.

Chapter 83

In 1924, Ho Chi Minh came to Guangzhou with a Soviet advisory group. He not only served as an interpreter, but also participated in the Guangdong-Hong Kong General Strike the previous year. He even spoke Cantonese when addressing workers at the Guangzhou East Parade Ground.

Moreover, similar to the cooperation between the KMT and the CPC, Ho Chi Minh frequently met with Phan Boi Chau, the founder of the Vietnam Restoration Society, from 1924 to 1925 to discuss plans to reorganize the Vietnam Restoration Society into the Vietnamese Kuomintang.

In fact, the Vietnam Restoration Society was originally founded by Vietnamese nationalists as a cosmopolitan imitation of Sun Yat-sen's Revive China Society. There's a saying, "The Wuchang Uprising, with a single shot, brought the Three Principles of the People to Vietnam."

However, Phan Boi Chau was arrested at the end of 1925, and the reorganization and establishment of the Vietnamese Kuomintang had to be temporarily shelved.

At that time, Phan Boi Chau seemed to be imitating the Chinese Communist Party. Didn't the Chinese Communist Party set up its party organization in the French Concession in Shanghai to avoid being hunted by the Beiyang government? I also placed the headquarters of the Vietnamese Kuomintang in the French Concession... It was a mistake because Vietnam was a French colony.

At this time, Korean nationalists in exile also established an exile government in China, headquartered in Shanghai. Syngman Rhee served as the president of the provisional government, and this group of people was protected by Du Yuesheng in Shanghai.

Ho Chi Minh also told Chen Tianheng a lot of small things about the current work of the Soviet military/political advisory group. Chen Tianheng substituted these details into the general direction he understood and basically confirmed that Ji Sanjia had no intention of asking Chiang Kai-shek to step down. He just wanted to tame Chiang Kai-shek.

Apart from the information revealed by Ho Chi Minh, Chen Tianheng did not find any useful information from the Sun Yat-sen Society.

In other words, none of the active members of the Sun Yat-sen Society looked like they had the courage and means to forge a warship movement order.

But then again, these active members are basically students and graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, and young right-wing members of the Kuomintang. If there really is a mastermind behind the conspiracy, it is likely that it is a big boss of the right-wing Kuomintang.

He had no choice but to return to Huangpu and continue training the more than 1,000 people of the First Regiment on Cheung Chau Island.

3月19日。20日0。21日。

Time just passed by like this.

"Zhongshan Ship!"

"Look! The Zhongshan ship!"

Chen Tianheng: "What? Zhongshan Ship? Where is the Zhongshan Ship?"