The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Mao Runzhi: "We must go to Shanghai to discuss this matter in person."

Chen Tianheng: "Then we will return to Changsha first, and then go to Shanghai. We will also arrange a place for the comrades and backbones of the peasant movement who have evacuated from the rural areas of Hengyang."

Jiang Xianyun: "Secretary Mao, I think we can mobilize the masses in the rural areas around Anyuan and Pingxiang, on the Hunan-Jiangxi border."

"We have a relatively good mass base in the Anyuan area, so we could go there, but now there are better arrangements. Guangzhou plans to establish a peasant movement training institute, and I have been appointed its first director. We will organize cadres and key members of the peasant movement to go to Guangzhou to summarize practical experience and learn theoretical knowledge. At the same time, we can also use funds from the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to expand our ranks."

……

The Guangzhou Peasant Movement Training Institute was established by the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang (KMT). Although established under the KMT's name, Mao Runzhi was the director, as he was the foremost authority on peasant movements in all of China, regardless of whether they were under the KMT or the Communist Party.

After its establishment, this Peasant Movement Training Institute, from the director down, was basically all taught, managed and operated by Communist Party members.

By the way, Mao Runzhi had just been elected as a member of the Kuomintang’s Peasant Movement Committee.

At Tiejia Wharf, Mao Runzhi divided the team into two.

The majority of the current contingent consisted of peasant movement cadres and activists from the farmers' associations, heading towards Guangzhou. Although the Tan-Zhao faction had entered a phase of "tacit warfare," Tan Yankai still nominally recognized Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang as legitimate. His army was also known as the Hunan Democratic National Construction Army, and the KMT and the Communist Party had recently collaborated. Therefore, as long as the peasant movement cadres and activists reached southern Hunan and entered Tan Yankai's control zone, they would be safe.

This team, led by Chen Geng and consisting of Xia Xi and Xia Minghan, along with the peasant cadres, was destined for the area controlled by Tan Yankai in southern Hunan. However, the journey before entering southern Hunan was risky, requiring Chen Geng to make strategic decisions on the spur of the moment.

Mao Runzhi, Chen Wangdao, Chen Tianheng, Jiang Xianyun and Guo Liang returned to Changsha.

"The reason I have to go back to Changsha," Chen Wangdao said to Chen Tianheng, "is not only because of organizational matters, but also because of you. Your father is seriously ill, and you'd better go back to see him."

……

When Chen Wangdao left Changsha, he learned that Chen Tianheng's father, Chen Fuxian, was seriously ill. When Chen Tianheng returned home, Chen Fuxian glanced at his son and died two days later.

Birth, aging, sickness and death are the laws of nature and there is nothing we can do about it.

Besides, as the father of the time traveler, he lived for nearly 20 chapters in the book before dying, so he had already made a profit.

"Chen Geng, Xia Xi and the others have arrived! They've already reached Shaoguan. The telegram was sent from Shaoguan!"

Chen Wangdao returned to the First Division from outside and brought good news.

Their group avoided the Hunan Army's military stations and camps, circled around on rural roads, and finally entered southern Hunan.

In the area controlled by Tan Yankai, Xia Xi negotiated with Tan's army and explained his identity. Soon Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou learned about this and sent a telegram requesting that Tan's army give a high-level reception to the group and said that he would hold a banquet to welcome them when they arrived in Guangzhou.

Chen Geng and Xia Xi sent the telegram to Changsha when they stopped in Shaoguan on their way from southern Hunan to Guangzhou. The time was half a month after Mao Zedong and his entourage returned to Changsha.

The information that Chen Geng and Xia Xi did not mention in the telegram was that in the past month, Sun Yat-sen had become increasingly dissatisfied with Tan Yankai because after Tan Yankai's troops entered Hunan, they gathered in southern and western Hunan and refused to attack Hengyang and Changsha.

At this time, dozens of Communist Party cadres of the peasant movement fled from Hengyang and said that a peasant movement had been organized in a large rural area near Hengyang some time ago, which was only one step away from a large-scale uprising of hundreds of thousands of peasants. Sun Yat-sen became even more angry.

We could have taken Hengyang in one go! If we had given these peasant armies controlled by the Communist Party another 1,000 or 2,000 guns, we could have even taken Changsha!

……

Mao Runzhi called Chen Geng and Xia Xi back, asking them to contact Zhu Shaolian after arriving in Guangzhou, rebuild the organization, and then raise the banner of the Peasant Movement Training Institute.

Zhu Shaolian was a member of the Central Committee of the Third National Congress and also the representative of the Hunan Party organization in Guangzhou.

These dozens of people took turns being teachers and students in the training institute. Each person talked about what he had done recently, and after that, others added to their work, which was equivalent to summarizing the work of six or seven farmers' and workers' associations in the recent period.

"We are going to Shanghai and we need to make this matter clear to the Party Central Committee. But after that, I have an idea for what you two should do, and I'd like to ask for your opinion."

Mao Runzhi found Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun.

"The KMT-CCP ​​collaboration has now begun. Last month, officers and military experts sent by the Soviet Union arrived in Guangzhou to assist Sun Yat-sen in building the army. The first step in building the army is to establish a military academy."

"The KMT Central Executive Committee has drafted a brief plan for the selection of students for the Military Academy. Military academy students will be recommended by KMT Central Executive Committee members for admission, allowing them to recruit aspiring young people from across the country."

"I am now a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang. I intend to recommend you two for admission to the military academy."

Here it comes, the Whampoa Military Academy is about to start preparations.

Jiang Xianyun said that there was no problem. The lessons learned from the peasant movement in the past three months made it clear that the peasant movement would eventually involve a real fight with the reactionary warlords, and the peasant movement could not be separated from the military.

Chen Tianheng also said that there was no problem on the spot, but he added:

"Secretary Mao, what about Chen Geng?"

"Of course, I'll also recommend Chen Geng for military academy study. This time, Zhao Hengxi's crackdown has caused losses to the farmers' and workers' associations across Hengyang. However, your Yuebei farmers' and workers' association has suffered no casualties or injuries from beginning to end, and no one has been arrested or imprisoned. Therefore, Tianheng, Xianyun, and Chen Geng, you three all have great potential and need further development and improvement in your military abilities."

Chen Tianheng: "Secretary Mao, there's one more thing. After we enter the military academy, can we temporarily withhold our Party membership? With the recent dispute between the Communist International and Secretary Chen Duxiu, I think we may need to be more proactive within the framework of Party discipline and make some arrangements that will facilitate future revolutionary work."

Mao Runzhi pondered for a moment. "Chen Tianheng, your party membership can remain private for now. Jiang Xianyun, I'm afraid you can't. You used to be secretary to Secretary Chen Duxiu in Shanghai."

Chen Tianheng: "Ah? Jiang Xianyun left a message with the Kuomintang?"

Jiang Xianyun: "Speaking of which, it may be true. The document I drafted for Secretary Chen Duxiu contained a text about cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and my name was also attached."

The two lived in Chen Duxiu's home in Shanghai and were both party members. Chen Duxiu had some work that required assistance, so of course he had to ask these two for help.

However, Chen Duxiu usually called on Jiang Xianyun for help, as Chen Tianheng was known for his sharp tongue. If Chen Tianheng felt Chen Duxiu's ideas or decisions were inappropriate, he would either openly debate with him or secretly make sarcastic remarks, constantly leaving Chen Duxiu in theoretical confusion. Jiang Xianyun was more reserved, so Chen Duxiu officially appointed Jiang Xianyun as his assistant and secretary in the Secretariat's personnel appointment documents.

Chen Tianheng: "Alright, if one of our team members keeps their identity secret, that's enough..."

Chapter 20

Tan Yankai is finally going to attack Hengyang.

In the third month of the Tan-Zhao War, the first group of wealthy people and merchants who came from Hengyang to Changsha to escape the war appeared in Changsha City, and the local newspapers in Changsha began to report that "Tan Yankai launched a large-scale attack."

Street rumors say that when Tan Yankai was driven away by Zhao Hengxi in 1920, he vowed "I will come back." Now with the support of Sun Yat-sen, he will not only attack Hengyang, but also fight back to Changsha to regain his three positions as the Governor of Hunan, Governor of Hunan Province and Commander-in-Chief of the Hunan Army.

Chen Tianheng looked through the Changsha newspapers. Some of the articles published in the newspapers were pessimistic about Zhao Hengxi, while others believed that Zhao Hengxi could defeat Tan Yankai. However, according to overall statistics, there were slightly more articles supporting Tan Yankai.

Because from a regional perspective, Tan Yankai relatively better represents the interests of Hunan. Zhao Hengxi's faction is the product of the Beiyang warlords' invasion of the south. Although Zhao Hengxi temporarily refused Wu Peifu's troops to directly station in Hunan, he was able to hold his position as the number one in Hunan by relying on his loyalty to Wu Peifu.

However, Chen Tianheng did not care about these things. In any case, the Tan-Zhao War did not have much impact on the overall situation in China.

What Chen Tianheng was concerned about was the Hunan Army Military Academy (Hunan Army Officers Military Academy).

"Tan Yankai launched a massive offensive, putting Zhao Hengxi under immense pressure and hastily expanding his army. The third class of students from the Hunan Military Academy, along with their instructors, will soon be recruited into the army, and the academy will likely be closed. Could the Hunan Provincial Committee develop something from this third class?"

Chen Tianheng made suggestions to Mao Runzhi and Chen Wangdao.

Chen Wangdao said, "We want to recruit members from the old army, but we have to leave for Shanghai in three days. Is it too late?"

Mao Runzhi: "This matter can be included in the work plan, but it may not be until a few months later. I estimate that after the Tan-Zhao War, the status of Zhao Hengxi's troops will be very problematic. Regardless of winning or losing, they must disarm. That will be our opportunity."

Chen Tianheng: "It will take time for the Party to develop its own organization within the Hunan Army system, but some officers in the Hunan Army now have a tendency to sympathize with the workers, peasants, and the poor. I know one, and he's currently a member of the third class."

"This man came from a poor family. From a young age, he was influenced by stories of peasant uprisings where the rich robbed the poor. He participated in a famine and was wanted. He ran away from home and joined the army, where he rose to become a junior officer."

"He and several like-minded soldiers and officers secretly organized a 'Poor Relief Society' and swore to save the country and the people as their purpose, not to do evil, not to disturb the people, and not to exploit the land."

"Later, a bully near his army station killed a poor farmer. He and the soldiers from the Poor Relief Society killed the bully landlord, and he was wanted and fled."

"Fortunately, the situation in Hunan Province was changing rapidly, with warlord governors coming and going. Within a year, no one remembered his wanted notice. So in 1922, he changed his name to Peng Dehuai, joined Zhao Hengxi's Hunan Army, and was admitted to the third class of the Hunan Army Officers Academy."

"By the way, this guy is also from Xiangtan, and he's a fellow villager of yours, Secretary Mao."

……

"Hello, Mr. Mao."

"Hello, Mr. Peng. Please, take a seat."

It was a simple drinking party. On one side were Mao Runzhi, Chen Wangdao, Chen Tianheng, and Jiang Xianyun, and across from them were Peng Dehuai and one of his officer classmates.

"This is Huang Gonglue." Peng Dehuai introduced his classmate who came with him.

Mao Runzhi: "Is Mr. Huang also a member of the Poor Relief Society?"

Peng Dehuai: "In the sixth year of the Republic of China, when I was serving in Tang Xiangming's army under Li Wenbin, three of us from the same hometown swore an oath together not to do bad things, not to disturb the people, and not to exploit the land. Li Wenbin himself took the lead. I was one of them, and Huang Gonglue was another. Li Wenbin is now in western Hunan."

Mao Runzhi: "Have you heard about the Anyuan Railway and Mining Strike and the recent Hengyang Peasant Movement?"

"I know everything. The Communist Party is behind this. How come," Peng Dehuai asked, "Mr. Mao, Mr. Chen, and these two young gentlemen are also Communists?"

……

Mao Runzhi and Peng Dehuai should have met four years in advance.

In fact, for more than half a year, both of them were in Changsha City, but one was a teacher in the First Division and also did party work, while the other was in the Army Academy outside Xiaowumen. The military academy belonged to the territory of warlord Zhao Hengxi, and the two sides had no contact.

At this "Xiangtan Fellow Villagers Gathering", both sides were straightforward. After hearing about the peasant movement, Peng Dehuai asked directly whether they were Communists. Mao Runzhi said that not only were they Communists, but that these two workers' and peasants' movements were organized by us.

Peng Dehuai clapped his hands and said, "Great, straightforward, I admire you."

In the revolutionary movement, in addition to the "peasant movement" and the "labor movement", there is another form of "military movement".

At the dinner table, Peng Dehuai said he still had to report to Zhao Hengxi's army, because being a low-ranking officer at least provided him with an income to support his family. Mao Runzhi said that Zhao Hengxi's army was indeed the right place to serve, and that the future of the KMT-CCP ​​cooperation would definitely be the Northern Expedition. When the KMT and the CCP decided to go north, the Hunan warlords might either change their flags and submit to the Northern Expedition or resist. At that time, it would be time for Peng Dehuai's army to make a choice.

Lin Xiangqian, who fled to Hunan after the failure of the Beijing-Hankou Railway workers' strike, was a representative sent by the party organization. In the future, he would follow Peng Dehuai into Zhao Xiheng's army and secretly develop party organizations among officers and soldiers.

"You two also participated in the strike and the peasant movement?"

After discussing the main issues, Peng Dehuai talked about the movements in Anyuan and Hengyang during the casual chat. He saw that both Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun were young, so he was very curious.

"In Anyuan, we mainly assisted Mr. Mao and Li Lisan, and in Hengyang, we founded a Yuebei Peasants' and Workers' Association," Chen Tianheng said. "We distributed grain at an equal price and arrested bullies there. We operated for nearly three months and even captured Zhao Hengxi's cousin, Zhao Nianci. Later, Zhao Hengxi sent troops, and our peasant armed forces were no match for us, so we fled. But before we fled, we forced Zhao Nianci to return the money he had extorted from the farmers in the surrounding area."

Peng Dehuai: "If the poor had their own army, they would definitely drive Zhao Hengxi out of Hunan. He's not a good person, even worse than the former Governor Zhang. But I don't understand. You guys revolutionize in Hunan and Jiangxi for a while, go to Shanghai, then come back from Shanghai, continue the revolution, and then go back to Shanghai after the revolution. Is Shanghai really that good?"

Chen Wangdao said: "Shanghai is now the headquarters of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China. After the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, it may have moved to Guangzhou, but it is still in the central city."

Peng Dehuai: "I understand. Shanghai is the 'Central Committee'. The Communist Party of Hunan Province listens to the Central Committee. But why does your Central Committee also listen to foreigners?"

Mao Runzhi: "This is a problem. All I can say now is that this problem is an objective fact. We can't pretend it doesn't exist, but we also can't take it for granted. We need to gradually resolve it."

……

"Runmin, when you go to Shanghai this time, I guess you'll be staying there permanently."

"It's fine for me to be based in Shanghai, but does the industry I run there belong to the Hunan Provincial Party Committee or the Central Secretariat?"

Travel, destination: Shanghai.

Yang Kaihui had to take care of the baby, so she didn't go out. This time, Mao Runzhi's younger brother Mao Runmin went to Shanghai with her.

In recent months, intermittent correspondence between the Hunan and Shanghai secretariats has also mentioned the United Reading Group's business.

The good news is that United Reading Group is doing good business and making more and more money.

However, another problem arose: as the business grew, a single person was needed to oversee the entire group. With so many things to do, remote control couldn't solve all decision-making issues. A dedicated person, a Party member, was needed to regularly oversee the group's operations.

But Chen Tianheng was likely to go to military school, and Chen Duxiu did not understand business and was completely a hands-off boss, so Mao Runzhi recommended Mao Runmin to the central government.

Mao Runzhi: "It's neither a Hunan Provincial Party Committee nor a central government enterprise. This group hasn't even made it onto the Central Secretariat's agenda. Essentially, it's Chen Duxiu's personal business. But Chen Duxiu himself used all profits from this business for Party funding, contributing over 5000 silver dollars in the past six months. Your mission in Shanghai is to manage this business and expand it as much as possible."

"It's also important to note that while United Reading Group is a publishing company, it is separate from the Party's propaganda system. This is necessary so that the company can operate safely and long-term."

Mao Runmin: "If we only provide funds for central government activities, we might be able to develop other industries."

Chen Tianheng: "I mentioned this to Secretary Chen Duxiu before we started United Reading, but he refused to get involved in unrelated industries. He only reluctantly agreed to engage in book publishing. But if you discover other business opportunities in Shanghai, you can invest directly in them. As long as you can make money, that's fine."

Mao Runmin: "Are the newly opened companies and industries also registered under the name of Secretary Chen Duxiu?"

"No, put it under your brother's name." Chen Tianheng said quickly.

Chapter 21

"It's over, it's over, I'm going to be killed by you!"

"Mr. Chen, this isn't over yet. I mean, it's still a long way from being over."

"Yet! Not yet!? Do you know what being deeply in debt means?"

Shanghai, Nanchang Road. Approaching Chen Duxiu's house, Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun heard two or three voices arguing from the courtyard gate.

Through the crack in the door, Chen Duxiu's face was flushed and veins on his forehead were bulging. Yang Shizhou, the manager of United Reading, and his assistant Chen Yun were patiently explaining to Chen Duxiu.

"We definitely have to borrow working capital. If we had to pay out of our own pockets, it would become a heavy asset operation, and the publishing, magazine, and newspaper industries rarely operate with heavy assets."

The person who spoke was Yang Shizhou.

"You borrowed too much! The storytelling club borrowed 30,000 silver dollars, such a huge sum of money, and now you tell me that the storytelling club only has 2,000 or 3,000 yuan in its daily account? Where did all that money go?"

"Daily cash flow is not fixed in one place. For example, we signed a contract with the printing factory. They print the magazines and we take them. We pay the printing factory first. But when the magazines are in our hands but haven't been sold, the money is not collected. We have no money in our account, but we have more than 10,000 magazines."

"We buy paper ourselves and send it to the printing factory. We pay the paper merchants every month. Now we can buy on credit, so we use their money. Otherwise, we would have to borrow thousands of dollars for working capital."

"If the magazine doesn't sell and the borrower demands repayment, then I'm doomed."

"It's impossible not to sell it, Mr. Chen. And our loans are long-term. Before the repayment period, you only need to pay the interest every month."

"Okay, okay, I won't ask about the storytelling club, but what about Reader's Digest? Chen Yun, explain why I'm in debt forty thousand yuan because of Reader's Digest."

"As for Reader's Digest, it's just like Story Club. Any magazine needs working capital. But this Reader's Digest is different from Story Club. Its distribution is even wider because its potential readership is higher than Story Club. Therefore, developing distribution channels requires a greater investment."

"I know the magazine's liquidity. But how did you borrow 4 silver dollars from the bank? I'm already 3 yuan in debt. Look at me, do I look like I'm worth 7 yuan?"

"We're using the storytelling club as collateral."