20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 797 The Secret Pact
Kang Zheng helped Zhao Guoyan up, looked at the wound on his back, and saw that although the cut was long, it had not damaged his meridians. He finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm sorry, brothers, we are late. The city is too chaotic. We went around the outer gate for a long time and only just got here now."

Zhao Guoyan waved his hand and simply said, "Thank you for your hard work."

I don't know what else to say.

If Kang Zheng and the others had arrived a few minutes earlier, perhaps Donya wouldn't have died, and if Donya hadn't died, Yang Lazi might have survived as well.

Then, everything will be different.

Unfortunately, there is no if in the world.

Given the circumstances, the fact that Kang Zheng and the others were able to arrive in time to save Zhao Guoyan is already a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune; it's hard to ask for anything more.

At this moment, Lao Dao also walked over from Huo Laogui's side and asked in a low voice, "What's the situation inside?"

Zhao Guoyan said, "There were about twenty people, but no one made a sound."

Old Dao nodded, then raised his hand to call over a group of brothers and strode into the outer residence of the Jiang family.

In fact, Xue Yingqing didn't bring many brothers, only seven or eight in total. But they had come from the outer city, taking a long detour without encountering any obstacles along the way, so they hadn't lost any energy. Their sidearms were also fully loaded. Once they entered the mansion, it was like wolves entering a sheepfold, killing anyone who stood in their way.

Gunshots rang out from the courtyard, accompanied by constant screams of agony.

Kang Zheng didn't go inside, but quickly walked to the car and waved, "Old Zhao, I brought a first-aid kit, you get in first!"

Zhao Guoyan shook his head and said, "I can still hold on. You can use it for the other brothers first!"

As he spoke, he reached out and held onto the courtyard wall, slowly making his way into the outer courtyard.

Upon seeing this, Kang Zheng hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

The two passed through the gate, walked down the stone steps, and arrived near the front yard.

At this time of year, the snowfall gradually weakens, and the heavy snowflakes turn into fine ice crystals that no longer fall in a downpour but drift and wander in the air.

The snow was as white as paper, and Donya lay on her side outside the second gate like a painting, with a splash of bright red spreading beside her.

She was still clutching the silver cross in her hand; it seemed that God had not answered her prayers.

The greatest regret in life is dying far from home.

On his deathbed, he had no close relatives by his side, and after his death, he will probably have no close relatives to mourn him.

In any case, Donya finally rests in peace.

Over the years, no one knows how she has fared, but one thing is certain: no one truly cares about her feelings. A concubine bought with money is nothing more than the Jiang family's private property, devoid of any dignity.

Looking at Dongniya's corpse, Zhao Guoyan felt ashamed and couldn't help but sigh, muttering to himself, "How...how am I going to explain this to my master!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Zheng patted him on the shoulder and comforted him in a low voice, "Old Zhao, there's a reason for this. You've done your best."

Zhao Guoyan couldn't let it go, shook his head, and said, "In this world, who doesn't try their best? In the end, it all comes down to the result."

Kang Zheng had nothing to say and could only sigh silently.

Gunfire was still ringing out in the courtyard, but it was gradually becoming less frequent.

Lao Dao and his men were not swayed by their emotions. They stormed into the mansion and killed more than a dozen people in succession. They deliberately left a few alive so that they could interrogate and interrogate them afterward.

Originally responsible for guarding the outer residence, Jiang family's "Xiangzi" now only has three or five brothers left. Although they survived, they are all seriously injured and barely clinging to life. Judging from their appearance, even if they can be rescued in time, their skills will probably not be able to recover to their original state. Without a year or two of quiet recuperation, they will probably not be able to work for the Jiang family again.

The Jiang family's outer residence did not have many servants.

Amidst the chaos, Zhuang Shuning's personal maid, Xiao Hui'er, miraculously survived.

However, after Lao Dao and the others broke into the main house, they did not find Zhuang Shuning.

Supported by Kang Zheng, Zhao Guoyan slowly walked into the courtyard, called Xiao Hui'er over to answer, and asked, "Where is the Third Madam?"

The girl was terrified and her words were incoherent. She shook her head hurriedly and said, "I don't know either. They told me to go to the side room, and then I heard gunshots. Madam was in the main room. Many people died. Then they came in and dragged me out. I didn't see Madam. Young Master was in the room, and so was Fourth Madam. I was helping them pack their luggage..."

"Alright, alright," Zhao Guoyan waved his hand and said, "Take a break first!"

At this moment, one of the wounded brothers responded, "Brother Yan, Old Yang just took the Third Madam to the backyard, saying that he wanted her to climb over the wall and run away first."

Zhao Guoyan nodded, then led Kang Zheng to the backyard.

The footprints on the snow in the backyard were messy and unpredictable, but there was half a foot of snow on the wall. There were two gaps, each about the width of a hand, left by Zhao Guoyan when he climbed over the wall. Presumably, Zhuang Shuning did not escape by climbing over the wall. After thinking for a moment, he walked towards the cellar on the east side of the wall.

Lifting the wooden board, they saw Zhuang Shuning, pale-faced, squatting behind the vegetable vat, holding Jiang Chengzhi.

It's no wonder she remained silent. The mother and son were squatting in the cellar, unable to hear anything outside. They only knew that gunshots were constantly ringing out, so they dared not show themselves easily.
“Madam,” Zhao Guoyan picked up a broadsword from the ground, held the back of the blade himself, and then dipped the hilt into the cellar. “Come out, everything is alright now.”

Overjoyed, Zhuang Shuning burst into tears and hurriedly grabbed the knife handle, scrambling awkwardly out of the cellar.

"Madam, please get in the carriage!" Kang Zheng stepped aside to make way for her. "Let's set off now!"

Zhuang Shuning nodded, grabbed Jiang Chengzhi, covered the child's eyes with her hands, and urged urgently, "Son, hurry up, hurry up!"

Zhao Guoyan and Kang Zheng accompanied and escorted the mother and daughter until they were put into the car before they stopped.

Old Dao frowned, followed closely behind, and muttered to himself, "I wonder if they still allow entry into the concession."

Zhao Guoyan, however, said, "Let's not go to the concessions, let's go to the commercial port."

Kang Zheng was confused and hurriedly asked, "The west side of the city is the most chaotic right now, why would we go to the commercial port?"

Zhao Guoyan sighed, "No matter how chaotic things are, we have to go. The master is over there, and... the old lady has passed away. We have to go and bring her back."

"Who left?"

Lao Dao and Kang Zheng immediately became alert.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Guoyan reiterated, "The old lady is gone!"

Old Dao's expression was grave. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Does our manager know about this?"

Zhao Guoyan shook his head and said, "He probably doesn't know. I just heard about it myself. Let's not waste any more time, let's go!"

Kang Zheng pressed further, "But the commercial port area is so large, where exactly is it located?"

“I’m not quite sure either,” Zhao Guoyan said, his breathing slightly heavy as he leaned on the roof of the car with one hand. “Let’s go to the mansion first and find Hai Xinnian. He knows where the master is.”

Seeing this, Kang Zheng stopped talking and quickly said, "Okay, okay, get in the car first, I'll get the first-aid kit to treat your wound."

Zhao Guoyan was not made of iron after all. After explaining the matter, he suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous, so he stopped pretending and let Kang Zheng help him with emergency bandaging.

Take off the cotton robe, perform emergency disinfection and stop the bleeding; keep everything simple and quick.

Zhao Guoyan, shirtless, opened the car door, leaned half his body inside, and lay down on the back seat, saying, "Please don't be offended, Madam."

Zhuang Shuning certainly didn't blame him, but looking at the new and old wounds on Zhao Guoyan's body, he couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

Jiang Jia Taibao was in his thirties, about the same age as Jiang Lianheng, and was approaching forty, so he was no longer young.

Youth has its advantages, and it's uncertain how long Zhao Guoyan can endure this constant fighting and killing.

After quickly treating the wound, Kang Zheng opened the car door and hurriedly said, "Old Dao, let's go quickly, let's go to the mansion in the north of the city first."

“I don’t think we need to go,” Old Dao said, looking into the distance and pointing. “Isn’t that Hai Xinnian?”

Everyone turned around and saw the boy walking quickly toward them.

When Hai Xinnian arrived nearby, the gunfire had already subsided. Seeing Xue Yingqing's car parked at the gate, he mistakenly assumed the outer residence was safe. However, upon inquiring, he learned that Huo Laogui had led men to smash the kiln. Zhao Guoyan, seeing him approach, felt a pang of anxiety and quickly asked, "What happened? Did something happen at the main residence too?"

Hai Xinnian nodded and gave a brief overview of the situation at the Jiang family mansion.

Upon learning of Lao Yuan's death, Zhao Guoyan was shocked and filled with resentment. His expression grew increasingly solemn, and he wanted to hurl a few curses, but his voice suddenly lowered as he said, "Just wait and see, and do as your father says."

Hai Xinnian remained silent.

To be honest, he had been a member of the Jiang family for three years and had often seen his godfather get angry, but he knew in his heart that it was not real anger, but just a bad mood.

Back then, Hai Xinnian still didn't know exactly how Jiang Lianheng became the leader of the gang.

After several discussions, the group decided to set off immediately to meet Jiang Lianheng at the commercial port.

Lao Dao was driving, Kang Zheng was in the passenger seat, and in the back seat were Zhuang Shuning holding Jiang Chengzhi, Hai Xinnian and Zhao Guoyan. It was a bit cramped, but now was not the time to negotiate, so no one complained.

Besides them, two other skilled drivers stood on the car's running boards, one on the left and one on the right, alerting them to any potential dangers along the way.

As for the other brothers, fortunately there were still two carriages in the mansion. The seriously injured ones rushed to the mansion in the north of the city to seek shelter from Xifeng, while the brothers on Xue Yingqing's side accompanied them all the way to the commercial port to meet with Jiang Lianheng.

Fengtian City was in chaos all night, and the Jiang Lianheng family was not the only one affected by the war.
The number of shops, mansions and residences in the city that were looted, and the extent of property loss caused by the paralysis of the government offices, is truly incalculable.

In comparison, the only place in the city that could be considered safe was probably the Marshal's Mansion.

After all, at this moment, all the military and police officers in Fengtian had been transferred by Old Zhang to his own residence to protect his personal safety and the Zhang family's private property.

…………

In the dead of night, two cars were parked in front of the Marshal's Mansion: a black sedan and a military jeep.

On the rearview mirrors of the two cars, there was a small white flag with a red heart, about the size of a palm.

Inside the conference room of the Marshal's Mansion, a large oval table stood in the center, the lights were dim, shining down from above and casting a dark shadow on every face.

Marshal Zhang sat listlessly in the main seat, with only two or three trusted confidants beside him. He held a document in his hand, but his gaze was empty, as if he could not find any focus.

A year ago, Old Zhang was on a winning streak. He first celebrated his 50th birthday, then led his troops into the pass, defeated Wu Xiucai in one fell swoop, took command of the Beiyang cabinet, and captured important cities in Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui. It seemed that he would unify the country in no time. How glorious he was!
However, in just half a month, with Guo Jun's rebellion against Fengtian, his ambition to conquer the Central Plains was shattered once again.

The light in his eyes has long since faded.

Having passed the age of fifty and come to know one's destiny, he watched as the elite troops of Fengtian Army defected. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he gradually realized that even if he survived the current crisis, he probably would not have the time or the opportunity to fulfill his vision.

In contrast, the Japanese boy directly opposite seemed quite excited.

Despite their best efforts to cover it up, they still inadvertently revealed expressions of schadenfreude.

The interpreter stood there, quietly reading aloud the terms of the secret agreement:

"The Far East side acknowledges that the subjects of the Great Eastern Empire enjoy the same land rental rights and residence rights as the Chinese in the Manchurian and Mongolian regions..."

"The Far East side allowed the Great Eastern Empire to extend the South Manchurian Railway, specifically extending the Jidun Railway to the mouth of the Tumen River and connecting it with the Korean Railway. At the same time, it ceded the right to build railways in the three northeastern provinces, specifically from Taonan to Solon and from Yanji to Hailin..."

"The Far East side has permitted the Great Eastern Empire to establish consulates in the counties under the jurisdiction of Taochang Circuit, and has transferred relevant authority..."

Although the secret agreement was only a draft, upon closer listening, it was actually a revised version of the Twenty-One Demands.

Old Zhang has quite a talent for diplomacy; how could he not know the pros and cons?
But even if we knew, what could we do?

Guo Jun's army is about to besiege the city. Considering that Guo Guizi shot Jiang Chaoliu, Lao Zhang had already given up the idea of ​​surrendering.

If we don't surrender, what will we use to fight?

Old Zhang had no choice but to ask the Japanese for help.

Why not ask the Russians?
Because General Guo's rebellion against Fengtian was secretly orchestrated by Russian forces.

The translator's voice drilled into his ears, and Old Zhang felt a ringing in his ears. He couldn't help but raise his hand to interrupt, saying, "Alright, alright, stop nagging."

As he spoke, he put the documents in his hand on the table, looked up at the Japanese officer directly opposite him, and asked, "If I agree to these conditions, will you send troops?"

Two Japanese men sat directly opposite them, who were also the representatives of this secret meeting. One was dressed in a Western suit, and the other in military uniform, representing the consulate and the Kwantung Army, respectively.

The man in the suit nodded and said, "That's right. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet, the military, and the Kwantung Army have reached an agreement. As long as General Zhang agrees to our request, we will immediately send troops from the peninsula to support us. However, due to the international situation, we are afraid we can only focus on protecting the South China Sea Railway."

The man in military uniform said, "Our army can take over the defense of Fengtian at any time. If necessary, we are happy to send advisors, and we can even disguise ourselves as Fengtian troops to help Marshal Zhang quell this rebellion."

Old Zhang sighed, seemingly a little tired, his eyebrows raised high, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

He would pick up a pen, then suddenly start writing, then suddenly stop, always seeming indecisive.

No wonder, signing this secret agreement means being destined to bear eternal infamy and never be able to escape its stain.

Although Lao Zhang came from humble beginnings, he was not without courage. At this moment, he finally felt apprehensive and conflicted.

Seeing this, the Japanese representative couldn't help but advise, "General Zhang, I think it's necessary to remind you that at the beginning of this month, General Guo clearly stated to us that he would continue to recognize the existing treaty between our two countries and ensure all of our country's vested interests in the Kanto region. If you do not agree to these conditions, our country would not mind having General Guo take charge of the three provinces. Time is of the essence in war, so please make a decision as soon as possible, General Zhang."

"Fuck it..."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang couldn't help but mutter a curse.

The Japanese representative in military uniform said again: "Marshal Zhang, in my personal capacity and based on our long-standing friendship, I sincerely remind you: this is the last chance for the Fengtian Army. Are you really going to hand over the hard work of the past ten years to that devil Guo?"

The man in the suit chimed in, "We both know perfectly well who is supporting and pushing Guo Jun behind the scenes. Please consider this carefully. If you agree to these conditions, we will support you wholeheartedly. Troops from Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces can also use the South Railway for troop transport. We will also operate in the Beijing-Tianjin area to help you cut off Guo Jun's supplies and disrupt his plan to attack Fengtian from both the north and south."

The Kwantung Army representative beside him sneered and said, "Guo the devil is nothing to fear. Once our army is mobilized, we can wipe out Guo's army within half a month."

"Then... let's sign it!"

Old Zhang finally nodded in agreement, muttering to himself, "I have no choice but to sign; it's a matter of life and death!"

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and quickly signed the "read" mark on the secret agreement.

Upon seeing this, the adjutant hurriedly took out the provincial government seal and respectfully handed it to Old Zhang.

Old Zhang glanced at it, shook his head, and said, "You picked up the wrong one, this isn't it."

The adjutant was stunned. Before he could react, Old Zhang had already taken out his private seal and firmly stamped it on the secret agreement.

The black and white paper, stamped with a bright red oil mark, proves that none of this is fake, yet at the same time leaves room for debate.

This is one of Lao Zhang's usual tricks.

In fact, he himself is well aware that if you want to play clever tricks, you need to have great abilities. Without solid strength to back you up, the end result will only be that you are too clever for your own good.

But he could not have foreseen the devastating consequences this secret agreement would have on the three northeastern provinces and on his own fate.

After the documents were signed, both parties exchanged confidential agreements.

The Japanese representative stood up and bowed. Marshal Zhang, not wanting to linger, simply waved to them and left the meeting room first.

He stepped out of the lamplight and walked to the doorway. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the man was just a withered and frail old man.

The Japanese representatives immediately straightened up, shook hands with each other in celebration, and their dark figures filled the entire conference room.

In the vast expanse of Northeast China, who truly reigns supreme? The answer is self-evident...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

PS was under review for a while.

(End of this chapter)