On the eve of the fall of Liaodong, he led his troops in a remonstrance against the young marshal.

"Although Zhang Xueming's actions were somewhat radical, they did safeguard national sovereignty, and his intentions were not particularly wrong."

Gu Zhutong chose a clever angle, first affirming Zhang Xueming's position so that the others present would not immediately refute it.

"The problem is that this aggressive approach is prone to accidental clashes, escalating local conflicts into a full-scale war."

"This is an unbearable burden for China at present."

He paused for a moment and then stated his solution:

"Therefore, my suggestion is that it is not advisable to publicly commend, but it is also not advisable to publicly punish."

"We can send an internal telegram to Zhang Xueming, stating the greater good and urging him to stop while he's ahead, thus restraining his troops and preventing the situation from escalating further."

"On the other hand, we contacted the representatives of the League of Nations and asked the neutral countries to mediate between the Kingdom of Bhikshu."

"The two sides shook hands and made peace, returning to the negotiating table."

"The existing railway privileges and concessions can remain unchanged, as for Lushun..."

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before finally speaking, "Lushun can be returned to the Kingdom of Bhikshu as a sign of our sincerity in peacefully resolving the dispute."

"In this way, we can avoid demoralizing the soldiers of the Northeast Army and also avoid provoking the Kingdom of Bhikshu, thus minimizing the risk of the war escalating."

After Gu Zhutong finished speaking, someone in the conference room breathed a soft sigh of relief.

The chairman nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction showing on his face.

Gu Zhutong's words beautifully packaged all the things he wanted to say but couldn't say directly.

Tell Zhang Xueming to stop while he's ahead, let the Northeast Army withdraw to its original location, hand Lushun back to the Japanese, and return the prisoners as well.

All these conditions combined can be summarized in one sentence:

They returned everything Zhang Xueming had knocked down, intact.

"Let's do it this way."

The chairman tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, making the final decision.

He turned to Guo Rugui.

"Ru Gui, draft a telegram and send it to Zhang Xueming and Zhang Xueliang. The wording should be strong, but it doesn't need to be made public."

He Yingqin stood up, took out paper and pen from his briefcase, and bent over the table to begin drafting.

He wrote a few words, paused, and looked up at the Chairman.

The Chairman leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and dictated the telegram.

"Power rationing will be implemented immediately upon arrival. By order of the Military Commission of the National Government, this message is addressed to Zhang Xueliang, Commander-in-Chief of the Northeast Army."

"It has been found that the Northeast Army recently engaged in a military conflict with the army of the Kingdom of Biqu without the approval of the Central Committee. Although they achieved a minor victory, this action seriously violates the established national policy of the Central Committee and puts the country and the nation in an extremely dangerous situation."

"The Kingdom of Bhikshu is the strongest military power in Asia. Its steel production is ten times that of ours, and its naval tonnage is a hundred times that of ours. To wage a full-scale war against it would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

"The painful lessons of the Sino-Japanese War are still fresh in our minds, and the calamities of the Boxer Rebellion are still before our eyes. How can you forget the great dangers facing the nation because of a temporary small victory?"

"In order to safeguard the fundamental interests of the nation and the people, and to prevent the spread of war and the resulting loss of life, the Central Military Commission hereby issues the following strict order:"

"All units of the Northeast Army shall immediately cease all military operations against the army of the Kingdom of Bhikshu, withdraw to their original defense zones, and shall not cross the border without authorization."

"Withdraw from Lushun within three days, return Lushun and the surrounding area to the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Bhikshu, and restore the original state before the incident."

"Properly resettle and immediately repatriate all captured officers and soldiers of the Bhikkhu Kingdom; they shall not be mistreated or detained."

"Effective immediately, the Central Military Commission will dispatch a liaison group to the Northeast Army to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire and handle subsequent negotiations."

"Your department is instructed to immediately escort the Central Special Envoy Chen Cheng back to Beijing upon receiving this telegram, and must not obstruct him."

"The above measures are decisions made by the Central Committee after careful consideration of the overall national situation, and must be implemented immediately without any compromise."

"As generals of the National Army, you should take obeying orders as your sacred duty and the safety of the nation as your own responsibility."

"If we insist on going our own way, are greedy for quick success and rashly advance, wantonly destroy the overall peace, lead the enemy deep into our territory, and cause harm to the people, then heaven and earth will not tolerate us, and the infamy of being a traitor to the nation will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to be redeemed."

"This order is hereby solemnly given to the Chairman of the Military Commission."

Guo Rugui's pen flew across the paper. After finishing, he put down his pen and handed the telegram to the Chairman with both hands.

The chairman took it, read it from beginning to end, then picked up a pen and signed his name at the signature area.

He handed the signed telegram to Guo Rugui and said one word:

"hair."

Then he stood up, buttoned up his cloak, and walked out of the conference room without looking back.

The echo of the military boots faded into the corridor, and the remaining people in the conference room looked at each other, no one speaking.

Bai Chongxi stood up, picked up the now-cold teacup in front of him, drank it all in one gulp, and then gently placed the teacup back on the table.

Li Zongren also stood up, patted the invisible dust off his clothes, and walked towards the door.

As he passed Gu Zhutong, he paused, turned his head, and looked at Gu Zhutong with an extremely cold gaze for two seconds.

Then he looked away, leaving a mocking smile, and strode out of the conference room.

The conference room was plunged into darkness.

After returning to his residence, the Chairman summoned Guo Rugui for a private audience.

.........

study.

The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn tight. A desk lamp sat on the sandalwood desk, its dim yellow light illuminating only a small area of ​​the desktop, while the rest of the corners remained in shadow.

The chairman sat behind his desk, his back ramrod straight, his face expressionless.

Guo Rugui stood in front of him.

Guo Rugui had just come out of the conference room. The telegram had already been sent out, but he knew that tonight's events were far from over.

The fact that the Chairman summoned him privately after he returned to his residence meant that what was to be discussed was even more confidential than the telegram sent in the conference room.

"Your beauty."

The chairman spoke up, "Go to Hucheng tonight."

Guo Rugui was slightly taken aback.

Hucheng is the headquarters of the Bhikkhu Kingdom's garrison in China, where the Bhikkhu Kingdom's Central China Expeditionary Army and Marine Corps are stationed.

The chairman's order for him to go to Hucheng was, without a doubt, to meet the ambassador of the Kingdom of Bhikshu.

"What does the Chairman mean?" Guo Rugui asked tentatively.

"Mediation".

The Chairman uttered two words: "The war between the Northeast Army and the Kingdom of Biqu must be quelled as soon as possible."

"Every day we delay increases the risk of a full-scale war."

Guo Rugui nodded, waiting for him to continue.

The chairman was silent for a few seconds, then stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the window.

Outside the window is the night sky over Nanjing, with the distant Purple Mountain appearing as a blurry outline in the darkness.

With his back to Guo Rugui, he uttered some shocking words.

"To express our sincerity in resolving this peacefully, you should tell the Kingdom of Bhikshu that we are willing to compensate for the losses caused by the Northeast Army."

Guo Rugui's heart leaped into her throat.

Compensation? Zhang Xueming won a great victory, annihilating two Japanese divisions and capturing countless spoils. Now the Northeast Army has an absolute advantage on the battlefield, so why should they pay compensation?

But he didn't ask; he knew the Chairman had more to say.

"The Northeast has a population of 30 million."

The chairman's voice was so cold it sent chills down one's spine: "The compensation will be thirty million taels of silver."

Guo Rugui was startled.

Thirty million taels of silver.

He unconsciously began to do the math: what did thirty million taels of silver mean?

After the Qing Dynasty's defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Treaty of Shimonoseki stipulated that it would pay 230 million taels of silver in reparations to the Kingdom of Bhikshu.

That year, the Qing Dynasty's fiscal revenue was approximately 80 million taels of silver. 230 million taels of silver was equivalent to nearly three years' worth of the Qing Dynasty's total fiscal revenue, which was already a heavy burden.

Now, the Chairman has offered a price of 30 million taels of silver. Although this is less than one-seventh of the indemnity paid during the First Sino-Japanese War, it is still a huge sum of money that could cripple the finances of the Nationalist government at this time.

More importantly, this was a victory.

Even if you win, you still have to pay compensation?

Guo Rugui's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

His palms started to sweat, but he didn't dare wipe them.

He stood there, trying to keep his expression calm, but his mind was racing with thoughts.

Does the Chairman realize how absurd this is? Those who win the war pay compensation, while those who lose receive money?

Throughout Chinese history, ceding territory and paying reparations were always events that occurred after a defeat in battle.

The Boxer Indemnity was imposed because the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing.

The Sino-Japanese War indemnity was imposed because the Beiyang Fleet was completely annihilated.

These humiliating treaties were signed because we couldn't win, because the enemy was at our gates, and because a knife was at our throats.

But who has the knife now?

In Zhang Xueming's hands, in the hands of the Northeast Army.

The Japanese army's elite forces in Northeast China were completely annihilated, and the Kwantung Army cowered outside Fengtian City, not daring to move, leaving the Korean Peninsula wide open.

This is China's greatest military victory against foreign powers in a century, and the Chairman is going to put his face up to be slapped at this moment.

Once this is exposed...

Guo Rugui dared not think any further.

He was all too aware of the power of public opinion.

Just a few hours earlier, he had witnessed firsthand the grand spectacle of students in Nanjing parading with torches, and had personally heard the earth-shaking shouts of "Long live the Northeast Army!"

The whole country is celebrating this victory, and everyone is worshipping Zhang Xueming as a national hero.

If news were to spread at this time that the Nationalist government not only did not support the Northeast Army, but was also demanding compensation on behalf of the Japanese, the students' torches would turn into gasoline and flames.

They attacked him en masse.

This is not an exaggeration; it is something that will definitely happen.

Guo Rugui opened his mouth, then stammered:

"What if the outside world finds out...?"

The Chairman turned around, looked at Guo Rugui, and said coldly:

"So, will you let the outside world know?"

"No!" Guo Rugui quickly stood at attention.

The Chairman was very satisfied with his attitude and said:

"This is something only you and I know."

Guo Rugui swallowed back all the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

He lowered his head and said in a respectful tone:

"Understood."

The Chairman looked at Guo Rugui's lowered head and nodded in satisfaction.

"Let's leave tonight."

"Yes."

Guo Rugui gave a standard military salute, then turned and walked towards the door.

"Wait a minute." The chairman's voice came from behind.

Guo Rugui stopped and turned around.

The chairman leaned back in his chair, the light illuminating only half of his face, the other half hidden in shadow.

His tone was more solemn than before, almost reverent, as he slowly said:

"Remember, this is for the country."

Guo Rugui didn't reply, but simply nodded again. He pushed open the door and went out.

The car drove out of the mansion gate and disappeared into the night.

In the study, the chairman stood up again and walked to the window.

He lifted a corner of the curtain with his hand, his gaze passing over the sleeping city of Jinling and looking north.

That direction is northeast.

His fingers gripped the curtain fabric tightly, his mind filled with only one thought: he must not allow Zhang Xueming to rise to power.

Once Zhang Xueming completely controls Northeast China, or even goes further and takes over Goguryeo, thus completely reshaping the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia, his popularity among the people will reach an unparalleled height.

At that time, will I still be able to hold onto my position as "Chairman"?

This sense of crisis reminded him of a classical Chinese story.

Heading south to capture the dragon.