The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

British Consul in Nanjing, Jabinan, was shot and wounded, and the Japanese Consul Morioka Shohei, who was ill and bedridden, was also shot, but the bullet missed him. American Vice President of Jinling University, Wen Huai'en, and the Italian president of the preparatory school at Aurora University were also killed.

Because it was the Lunar New Year, and because nothing had happened during the Northern Expedition's capture of Shanghai more than two weeks earlier, the British Yangtze River gunboats were resting. Two gunboats were in Shanghai for the Lunar New Year, one of which was in dock for a repaint. The third was in Wuhan.

The Nanjing Incident shocked Britain. On the afternoon of February 4th, British sailors hurried out of their various shopping malls and returned to the sailors' quarters on the shore near the dock to assemble. Half an hour later, the soldiers and officers of the gunboat Emerald, their bags on their backs and pan-fried dumplings in their mouths, hurriedly boarded and set off.

On the morning of February 5th, the entire First Division was mobilized, their guns trained on the concession.

"British warships and troops must safeguard British national interests, including the lives of British citizens overseas," Lescott said. "General Chen, since you assembled troops and deployed them in the city early this morning, I believe you are aware of the Nanjing Incident and its destructive power. We deployed warships because we had to do so."

Chen Tianheng: "Lieutenant Colonel Lescott, you should also know that the looting in Nanjing was stopped on the evening of February 3rd; that the Northern Expedition Army had already apprehended the robbers during their investigation on February 4th; and that the Jiangyou Army Headquarters apologized on the evening of February 4th, offering compensation and relief to the international community for their losses. The Nanjing Incident has been resolved. As I said before, the people are already dead, so don't hold on to it."

Lescott: "The British Consul General was injured in the robbery and is still awaiting surgery. The deceased were among the most prestigious and famous expatriates. This incident is not ordinary in nature. At least not yet can it be arbitrarily defined as indiscriminate looting by soldiers lacking military discipline. Britain must show its strength in Nanjing, otherwise we cannot ensure that this incident will be resolved fairly and that the true mastermind behind it will be uncovered."

Chen Tianheng: "Sailing your warships to Nanjing at this time will only worsen relations between China and Britain, destabilizing the previously stable sentiment among the various factions within the city. Furthermore, Commander Lescott, I would like to remind you today that the Shanghai Concession is now under serious threat. Therefore, in order to safeguard British national interests and protect the lives of British citizens overseas, I request that you return the gunboat HMS Emerald to Shanghai to defend the Shanghai Concession. Given the timing, the HMS Emerald is not too far from Shanghai. If possible, the American gunboats currently patrolling the Yangtze River should also be transferred back to Shanghai."

Lescott: "..."

"Communist Party, this must be a Communist conspiracy!"

Chiang Kai-shek slammed the table hard.

"Their party representatives in the Second and Sixth Armies are instigating soldiers to attack foreigners, hoping to worsen relations between our country and Britain and the United States. Humph!"

After the Nanjing Incident, Wuhan became nervous. On Chiang Kai-shek's side, many senior officials of the National Government came to Shanghai from Wuhan and Nanchang to discuss countermeasures with Chiang Kai-shek.

He Yingqin: "The Second and Sixth Armies have been infiltrated by the Communist Party. Under the current circumstances, it is not suitable for them to continue to be stationed in Nanjing. The First Army is now concentrated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and Jiangsu and Zhejiang have been pacified. I think we should let the Third and Twenty-first Divisions move to Nanjing. The Second and Sixth Armies will go back to where they came from.

Chiang Kai-shek: "The Second and Sixth Armies must not only withdraw from Nanjing, but they must also purge the Communists within their ranks, otherwise these two armies will be controlled by the Comintern.

"Commander-in-Chief, there's not enough evidence to prove the Nanjing Incident was the Communist Party's doing. Eyewitness reports at the scene indicate that the two armies had a significant lack of discipline," said Deng Yanda, Director of the Northern Expedition's General Political Department. "Furthermore, on February 3rd, some Beiyang fleeing soldiers who weren't captured also participated in the looting."

Chiang Kai-shek: "The Japanese Consul General in Shanghai, Shichitaro Yada, stated that he had received a report from people in Nanjing that the Nanjing robbery was organized by party representatives from two armies."

He Yingqin: "Yada Shichitaro said that the operation was planned and planned by Lu Diping, Cheng Qian's party representatives, grassroots Communist Party dispatched officers, and Chinese Communist Party members in the Nanjing area. Local Communist Party members served as guides during the attack, and the targets and locations were planned in advance. Only foreigners were targeted, with a focus on consulates, churches, schools, and other places where foreigners gathered.

Deng Yanda shook his head: "It's not always like that. The Japanese diplomats in Nanjing could only see what was happening around them. In fact, many Chinese people in Nanjing were robbed on February 3rd. There were more than a dozen cases reported, and many more residents chose not to report.

He Yingqin: "This must be a trick. They also feel that robbing only foreigners is too conspicuous, so they rob some Chinese as well, making it look like they are robbing indiscriminately.

Deng Yanda: "This speculation is a bit too conspiracy-theoretic..."

He Yingqin: "If the Communist Party had not been sabotaging things, how can we explain why Jiujiang and Shanghai, which were captured by our First Army, were in good order? There were large numbers of foreigners in both places, and there were concessions, so how could this kind of thing not happen?

Chiang Kai-shek: "Chen Tianheng, what do you think about this matter?

Chen Tianheng was also present. He was the commander of the Shanghai garrison.

He had been silent just now, watching Chiang Kai-shek and several bigwigs arguing with each other. Now Chiang Kai-shek wanted him to express his opinion. Chen Tianheng scratched his head and said:

"Principal, Instructor He, I think the Second and Sixth Armies automatically entered looting mode after occupying Nanjing.

Chiang Kai-shek: "The wooden book is in the

Cough! Cough!" He Yingqin wanted to laugh immediately, but suddenly realized that this occasion was not suitable for laughing, so he immediately covered his mouth with his hands.

Deng Yanda: "The Hunan Army. Oh,... The Hunan Army. Oh.

1aa

Chen Tianheng didn't present facts or reason. Presenting facts and reasoning is a sensitive topic. If you reach a conclusion, it's the result of your logical thinking, and you're responsible for it.

Chen Tianheng was very clever and told jokes.

Then the joke was so funny that it interrupted the normal thinking of several senior party and government officials present. The heated debate turned into an intermittent chat among the group of people, which was difficult to hold back from time to time.

Well, this is an automatically triggered skill of Hunanese people in Nanjing.

It’s true, jokes are popular if they are funny.

Half a day later, the rumor that "Hunanese automatically go into looting mode the moment they enter Nanjing" spread throughout the Northern Expedition headquarters in Shanghai. Even if some tried to shift the blame for the Nanjing Incident onto the Communist Party representatives, they couldn't overcome this widespread joke.

The final conclusion given by He Yingqin and Chiang Kai-shek was:

Although the Nanjing Incident was initiated by soldiers without proper supervision, the Party representatives of the Second and Sixth Armies failed to properly supervise their troops, a dereliction of duty. It is recommended that the Second and Sixth Armies re-examine the Party representatives assigned to their respective units and dismiss those who failed to perform their duties properly.

Furthermore, as commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition, Chiang Kai-shek issued a document reprimanding the Second and Sixth Armies for allowing troops to rob foreigners in Nanjing, causing significant international tension. Consequently, the Second and Sixth Armies were quickly withdrawn from Nanjing, and the city was replaced by the Fourth Army and the Third Division of the First Army.

The outcome of this matter was determined the next day, and the disciplinary decisions for Lu Diping and Cheng Qian were also issued.

"Commander, the British have informed us again that the Emerald will return to the Huangpu River tomorrow morning.

After returning to the First Division Headquarters, Chen Tianheng received the latest news from the Concession Defense Mutual Confidence Exchange Group.

"Yes, the warships are back in the Huangpu River," Chen Tianheng said, "I thought they were going to bombard Nanjing.

Chen Mingren: "There is one more thing, Commander, the messenger is waiting for you.

Chen Mingren went to the rooftop and met Chen Duxiu and Qian Zhuangfei, who was with Chen Duxiu. In other words, when Qian Zhuangfei came to the First Division as a messenger and Chen Tianheng was not at the division headquarters, Chen Mingren and the four staff officers knew Qian Zhuangfei's purpose.

But Qian Zhuangfei did not pass the letter to Chen Mingren or let him know first. It seems that the letter Qian Zhuangfei wanted to send this time was of great significance.

After opening the letter, Chen Tianheng immediately stood up and paced back and forth in the room.

Chen Mingren: "Commander, what's going on?

Chen Tianheng: "The Communist International..."

Qian Zhuangfei: "Comrade Li Dazhao is on his way from Beijing to Shanghai.

Chapter 56: Bigger Trouble

After the Nanjing Incident, Chen Duxiu immediately remembered something.

Before the Northern Expedition captured Shanghai, the Shanghai Special Committee of the CCP Military Department held a meeting to plan an armed uprising of Shanghai workers. During the meeting, Gu Shunzhang said that the Communist International had given instructions and that he would make the decision himself, listing the matter as item three on the meeting agenda.

"Anti-British issue, international letters ask us to quickly launch an anti-British movement"

This could be a sign of something very abnormal.

At that time, he just asked whether the instruction from the Communist International was true or false. Gu Shunzhang took out a letter and said it was a true instruction. Then Chen Duxiu said that it was fine and did not read the letter.

Mistake, mistake! Chen Duxiu slapped his head. At that time, he should not only read the letter, but also keep it in his hands for archiving.

In the final analysis, it was Old Chen's habitual thinking at the time. He thought that the anti-British movement was to let the party organization organize the masses to hold signs and march. He didn't expect that he would directly manipulate the soldiers of the Second Army and the Sixth Army to fire at the British Consulate General.

After the Nanjing Incident, all sides accused the Second and Sixth Armies of causing trouble in Nanjing. The commanders of these two armies desperately defended themselves. Cheng Qian said the robberies were committed by Sun Chuanfang's fleeing troops in Nanjing who had not yet crossed the river. Lu Diping said the robberies were a Communist conspiracy.

At the same time, the Japanese consul in Shanghai forwarded the statement of their Japanese consul: the riot in Nanjing was organized by the Communists in the Northern Expedition Army.

The "Communist plot" theory was quickly seized upon as evidence by the Kuomintang's New Right. However, in Shanghai and Nanchang, the individuals involved in the discussion often expressed a certain strained expression. While they accused the Communists of following their superiors' instructions, they secretly endorsed the infernal "Hunan Army marching into Nanjing" story. The first decisions made by the Northern Expedition's headquarters were to reprimand Lu Diping and Cheng Qian and order the Second and Sixth Armies to evacuate Nanjing as soon as possible.

In Wuhan, Wang Jingwei insisted that the Nanjing looting incident was the work of Beiyang defectors. This was because Wang Jingwei could neither blame the Communist Party (Boris Borodin, the Soviet Union/Comintern's political advisor, was currently in Wuhan) nor Lu Diping and Cheng Qian. Unlike Chiang Kai-shek's factions, these two armies were generally close to the Wuhan government, and Wang Jingwei could not "harm" them.

The Party Central Committee in Shanghai remained silent.

Chen Duxiu had to first find out what the letter from the Communist International was at the last meeting before he could respond.

It was from Chen Duxiu's letter that Chen Tianheng learned that this item was included in the meeting of the Ministry of Military Affairs that day.

"Gu Shunzhang has temporarily lost contact. The Shanghai Party organization is looking for him. Only by finding him and asking him to hand over the Comintern letter can the Central Committee make a decision.

Chen Tianheng: "Secretary Qian, I have another confirmation channel. I can contact a party representative from Lu Diping's Second Army, but it takes time, and the contact with him is not direct.

Qian Zhuangfei: "Hopefully, it will be as soon as possible. The Central Committee will not convene a Politburo meeting until Comrade Li Dazhao arrives in Shanghai. He will arrive in two days."

Chen Tianheng: "Two days, if they move quickly, we should be able to make it in time...

When Tu.

As the second echelon of the attack on Nanjing, the Fourth Army was stationed in this small county 40 kilometers away from Nanjing. The Battle of Nanjing went too smoothly, and the first echelon directly rushed into Nanjing. Therefore, the Fourth Army was temporarily stationed in Dangtu for the time being, waiting for the combat instructions for the next battle.

Zuo Quan, the chief of staff of the 25th Division of the Fourth Army, received a telegram. He frowned after reading it and quietly put the telegram in his pocket.

"Commander Ye, I'll go down to the 75th Regiment and monitor their training.

After giving Ye Ting a reason, Zuo Quan left and went to the headquarters of the 75th Regiment.

"Chen Tianheng instructed us to immediately go to Nanjing and find Xiao Jinguang, the Party representative of the Second Army's Sixth Division. We should have him provide us with a detailed report on the entire Nanjing Incident, particularly the role played by their Party representative system during the period leading up to and following the incident. This matter is of great importance, and we hope to have a result within two days."

Zuo Quan handed the telegram to Jiang Xianyun.

Jiang Xianyun certainly knew the reason why Chen Tianheng had inquired about this matter, but he was slightly surprised when Chen Tianheng suggested that they could contact the Party representative of the Sixth Division of the Second Army, since they were well acquainted.

Perhaps during the Battle of Nanxun Line, the Second Army and the First Army fought together?

Jiang Xianyun: "Then we should set off now. We should be able to reach Nanjing tonight by horseback."

Zuo Quan: "Zhang Fakui informed me that the Fourth Army's division commander and chief of staff will have a meeting this afternoon to discuss important matters. I can't leave, so you and Chen Geng should go together.

"Are our two regimental commanders going to Nanjing on horseback? Forty kilometers?"

Chen Geng took out a key from his pocket and said, "Jiang Xianyun, we are the driver.

A black Ford sedan, carrying Jiang Xianyun and Chen Geng, was driving along the dusty dirt road from Dangtu to Nanjing. This was Ye Ting's car, a gift from Wang Jingwei.

"Oh, you don't have a driver's license yet?

Jiang Xianyun was bumping around in the passenger seat.

Chen Geng: "It doesn't matter. Ye Ting and Ye Shichang didn't do that either.

Jiang Xianyun: "" Book in Book in

"Are you looking for Xiao Jinguang, the Party representative of the Sixth Division? The Party representatives of the Second Army have all been asked to leave the army for investigation.

In the west of Nanjing, at the headquarters of the Sixth Division of the Second Army, Chen Geng and Jiang Xianyun did not see Xiao Jinguang at the division headquarters.

Jiang Xianyun: "Let's just have a few private chats with Xiao Jinguang.

"What private business could your Fourth Army have with us?"

"Who says we don't have private matters?" Chen Geng immediately thickened his Hunan accent. "There are quite a few Hunanese in the Fourth Army. I'm a Hunanese myself. Xiao Jinguang's wife is seriously ill. I have to inform him and then work out a solution."

It was said that all the party representatives of the Second Army were asked to leave the army for investigation. In fact, this investigation did not involve locking them up for investigation. The lax Second Army simply allowed these party representatives to stay away from their troops.

"Before the Battle of Nanjing began, I emphasized to the entire Sixth Division the discipline for entering the city: no indiscriminate killing of innocent people, no looting of civilian property, and that captured supplies from Sun Chuanfang's army be sealed and labeled. But this was before the battle began, and the fighting progressed too quickly, so they rushed in all at once. I should have gathered the troops again before entering the city to emphasize the discipline.

This was also the instruction of Li Fuchun, the party representative of the Second Army.

"The looting incidents in Nanjing did occur. I don't know the situation of the Sixth Army, but soldiers from the Second Army did participate. However, the Party representatives of the three divisions of the Second Army were working hard to maintain discipline in the troops.

"In reality, we wanted to emulate the First Division's control methods and mass discipline in Jiujiang, and strive to maintain the normal operation of the city in Nanjing."

Chen Geng: "I used to be in the First Division. Why do you want your Party representative system to learn from the First Division?"

Xiao Jinguang: "Yes, although the First Division was purged of all Communist Party members, so you are in the Fourth Army, but I feel that the First Division still has a lot to learn. Not only the Jiujiang control method, I also set up a training camp in the Sixth Division, and I also learned a few tricks from training with the First Division in Jiujiang.

Jiang Xianyun: "Deputy Xiao, I am a Party member, the head of the 75th Regiment and also a Party representative. I will report our questions to General Secretary Chen Duxiu, so I must carefully record our conversation. Then there is another crucial question: What instructions did the Communist International or the Central Military Department give you before the Battle of Nanjing? Regarding the Battle of Nanjing and policy toward Britain?

Xiao Jinguang: "The International's directive was issued. It was sent to Li Fuchun, the Party representative of the Second Army. Li Fuchun conveyed the content of the directive to us at the Party group meeting on January 25.

"This instruction requires us to widely publicize the invasion of China by British and French imperialism among the rank and file soldiers and officers, to instill hatred against the British colonists, and to lead the soldiers to realize that only by completely driving British influence out of China can the Chinese revolution be victorious."

Jiang Xianyun: "Establish hatred against the British colonizers. Did you say that at the Party group meeting?"

"Li Fuchun conveyed it word for word. But then he said, 'Comrades, this is totally unnecessary. We shouldn't do this. If we do this, the soldiers below won't be able to control it.'"

Jiang Xianyun: "So you actually ignored the instructions of the Communist International and did not carry them out. Instead, you asked the troops to strictly observe discipline in Nanjing to prevent the situation from getting out of control?

"Yes. Although the Party representatives of the Fourth Division objected at the meeting, the minority ultimately obeyed the majority. During the pre-war mobilization work, the Party representatives of our three divisions all worked to maintain the troops' composure.

Chen Geng: "There's another detail. The foreign consulate in Nanjing was attacked. The Japanese consul claimed to have been shot, but he was actually bedridden. A bullet passed through the window and hit the wall. It's almost certain it was a stray bullet, and his house wasn't invaded by soldiers. The British consul general, on the other hand, was shot in the chest. Doesn't this confirm that the British were targeted?"

Xiao Jinguang: "I have questioned the parties involved in this matter, the soldiers who caused the incident. The actual situation is that the Japanese consul was bedridden, the American consul hid in the back mountain, the Italian consul hid in the basement, the French consulate raised the white flag and then the blue sky, white sun flag, and the British consul ran outside and scolded the soldiers who were looting. The soldiers were so angry that they shot the British consul. This was not directed at the British, but the British consul rushed out.

Chen Geng: "Li Fuchun, the Party representative of the Second Army, has also been isolated, right? Can we go find him?"

Xiao Jinguang: "As long as I take you there, you can see him, and Li Fuchun should have kept the original letter that he read to us at the meeting.

4646

Shanghai.

French Concession.

"Secretary Qian, Chen Tianheng said he would reply in two days, right?

Qian Zhuangfei: "Yes."

Chen Duxiu: "I think you should go to the First Division headquarters as soon as possible.

Although the 48 hours are until tomorrow noon, Chen Tianheng often completes the work ahead of time."

"Okay, this way, if there's any news from Chen Tianheng, I can report it back immediately.

Outside Chen Duxiu's window, a bustling crowd filled the air. A few days earlier, the concession had issued an emergency mobilization order, and citizens who had registered as reserve soldiers for the Volunteer Army had reported to the camps, bringing their own food and water. Now, three days later, the Volunteer Army had rescinded its mobilization order and disbanded, and the reservists had returned home. Chen Duxiu sat in a daze by the window until dusk, and the neon lights in the distance lit up, flickering in a riot of color.