Chapter 141: Xi'an Incident I

Time, that thing, always slips away silently, like sand through one's fingers—grasp it tighter, and it flows faster. The great figure respectfully called "Sir" initially held a "joint external" thought like a freshly baked roasted sweet potato—fragrant and hot, wanting to taste it yet fearing a burn. Back then, he could stand every day before a massive map, tapping the fallen lands beyond the passes with a baton, muttering things like "Sincere Unity" and "jointly resist foreign aggression." But in a heartbeat, his deep gaze shifted to another region on the map, and the little abacus in his mind clacked louder than the busiest tea house accountant in Nanjing Cheng.

Day after day passed, smooth as an oiled copper slide, leaving even a fingerprint was impossible. The gentleman's already modest zeal for resisting enemies began to sour, gradually smothered by the old maxim "To repel foreign aggression, one must first clear internal troubles." He started sighing to his close subordinates now and then, alternately fretting over gains and losses and scheming how to preserve his own strength. That "joint external" notion became like a box of damp matches—scratched and scratched, yet unable to spark even a single ember.

The people around him were best at reading his mood; seeing his condition, they went along with his thoughts, whispering in his ear daily, uttering only phrases like "If internal troubles are not eliminated, how can we confront the outside?" The gentleman listened, found every word reasonable, and finally tossed the now‑cooled "joint external" roasted sweet potato far to the back of his mind, deciding that the top priority now was to first put his own Family in order.

With a blink, the days spun forward like a top whipped by a lash, racing onward. The December that had seemed distant suddenly swooped, colliding right before his eyes.

In December, Nanjing was cold and damp, the chill seeming to pierce the very joints of a person's bones. Within the official residence that symbolized the power core, the atmosphere was heavier than the weather. The gentleman was gathering a few trusted generals to discuss the situation in Xibei. Li Yuxuan sat just below the gentleman, his brows involuntarily knotting.

A staff officer named Chen pointed to the location of Xi'an on the map, his tone urgent: "Han Qing's recent attitude is ambiguous and hard to read; rumors say his Northeast Army has occasional contacts with those over there. If this continues, trouble may arise."

The gentleman waved his hand dismissively, his tone carrying his usual firm belief: "Han Qing? I gauge he lacks the courage, let alone the inclination to act rashly. This time I'm going to Xi'an in person precisely to make him—and everyone—see clearly our resolve to cleanse the interior, unshakable."

Li Yuxuan suddenly spoke, his voice steady: "Sir, would it be wiser to bring along more elite troops on this trip?"

"Jingxing," the gentleman turned his head, laughing with a hint of teasing, "you have always been famed for daring and strategy; when did you become so cautious and meticulous?"

"It's not caution," Li Yuxuan's expression remained unchanged, his tone deepening, "it's concern. The entire Northeast Army is homesick, their resentment building day by day, making them most vulnerable to exploitation—so we must guard against that."

As soon as the meeting ended, Li Yuxuan rushed back to his official residence and summoned the trusted general Huang Wei, who had just returned, weary from travel. Huang Wei didn't even have time to sip water before heading straight to the study.

"Immediately and covertly redeploy the Fifth Army and the Eighteenth Army," Li Yuxuan said without any pleasantries, issuing the order directly, "move toward Xi'an, and act swiftly."

Huang Wei visibly froze for a moment, instinctively lowering his voice: "Officer, with a troop movement of this scale, if the gentleman asks…"

"I have my reasons." Li Yuxuan walked to the window, gazing at the grayish sky outside, "Remember, speed is essential, but the movements must be covert, and we should avoid attracting attention from any side as much as possible."

As expected, the next day the gentleman summoned Li Yuxuan. In the spacious office, the gentleman wore a half‑smile as he looked at him: "Jingxing, I heard you've been busy relocating troops lately?"

"Yes," Li Yuxuan replied unusually calmly, "the Fifth Army and the Eighteenth Army are conducting a routine defensive rotation drill, testing the troops' mobility."

The gentleman heard this and burst into a hearty laugh, his finger hovering as he teased, "Rotation? From the Southwest Hinterland to the Xibei front? Jingxing, Jingxing, when did you learn to play such tricks on me?"

On the morning of December 4, Xi'an Airport was shrouded in a thin, cold mist. The gentleman's private aircraft was ready, its engine emitting a low rumble as the accompanying staff boarded one after another.

"Jingxing," the gentleman halted at the gangway, his gaze fixed on the faint plume of smoke on the distant horizon, "so this is the routine defensive rotation drill you told me about?"

Li Yuxuan's expression remained calm as always: "Being prepared averts disaster; it's always good."

"Preparedness averts disaster?" the gentleman shook his head, his smile tinged with disdain, "are you worried that Han Qing and his men might act against me?"

"Sir," Li Yuxuan showed a rare, extremely serious expression, "I recall back in Guangzhou you often taught me: 'For a commander, one should not contemplate victory first, but consider defeat first.' Jingxing would not dare to forget that."

The gentleman patted his shoulder, his tone light: "You, you're just overthinking. I know Han Qing well; he won't stir up any waves."

The private aircraft flew smoothly above the cloud layer. The gentleman specifically called Li Yuxuan to the seat beside him.

"Jingxing, there are no outsiders here; tell me the truth," the gentleman lowered his voice, "have you heard any particular rumors?"

Li Yuxuan answered carefully, "Within the Northeast Army, from senior officers down to the foot soldiers, there's considerable grievance about continuing internal campaigns, seeing it as a waste of national strength. Sir, now the whole nation's call for a unified external stance is rising sharply; should we…?"

"Again the external!" the gentleman suddenly raised his voice, a flash of anger crossing his face, "each of you, have you all been misled by that side's propaganda? The enemy in the east is merely a skin disease, a minor ailment! The internal turmoil is the real serious threat! Can you not see that?"

The nearby staff, including Chen, looked on; Li Yuxuan realized it was not the time to argue, and fell silent.

When the plane touched down at Xi'an Airport, Zhang Xueliang personally led a group of officers to greet it on the runway. The young Deputy Commander-in-Chief, his uniform crisp, behaved with courteous precision, yet a close look at his eyes revealed a trace of anxiety and unease that could not be fully concealed.

"Sir, you've endured a hard journey," Zhang Xueliang said, rendering a standard military salute.

The gentleman nodded with satisfaction: "Han Qing, take me to see your troops, to see the brothers."

On the way to the lodging, Li Yuxuan deliberately stayed at the rear of the column, his sharp gaze sweeping over the Northeast Army soldiers on duty along the streets. Their military bearing was fairly orderly, yet almost every face was shrouded in an inescapable cloud of melancholy, their eyes lacking luster.

"Did you notice?" at some point, Zhang Xueliang slowed his pace, moving up beside Li Yuxuan.

Li Yuxuan, expression unchanged, replied, "Notice what?"

"Homesickness is practically etched on their faces," Zhang Xueliang sighed lightly, his voice weary, "none of my old brothers don't yearn to return to their northeastern homes soon? Rather than staying in this Xibei land, fighting each other to the death, becoming a joke to outsiders."

That evening, the Xijing Guesthouse, both inside and out, was under strict guard, the atmosphere tense. The gentleman convened all core accompanying personnel for a meeting, deliberately omitting Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng among the local commanders.

"Everyone," the gentleman surveyed the group, then suddenly asked, "Do you think Han Qing is still trustworthy now?"

The crowd exchanged glances, no one daring to speak immediately. A general surnamed Wei hesitated, then spoke first: "Deputy Commander Zhang has always been loyal to the gentleman; perhaps it's only the men below…"

"I want the truth!" the gentleman interrupted impatiently.

Li Yuxuan rose slowly, drawing everyone's eyes: "Sir, I propose that tomorrow, citing urgent official business in Jinling, you return first. I will stay behind to coordinate, allowing me to further observe the situation and persuade them."

"What?" the gentleman exclaimed, clearly astonished, "We've only just arrived in Xi'an!"

"Precisely because we've just arrived, using an excuse to return won't seem too abrupt. I'll stay as your representative; they won't immediately become suspicious." Li Yuxuan's words carried an unmistakable weight.

The staff member Chen, standing aside, shook his head dismissively: "Brother Jingxing is being overly superstitious; acting like this only makes us appear insecure, easily provoking unnecessary suspicion."

Late at night, the house silent, Li Yuxuan paced alone in his guestroom. He knew the moment that would decide the course of history was drawing near, and this helpless feeling—knowing there were tigers in the mountains—made his mind uneasy.

"Officer," Huang Wei's low voice came from outside the door, "the Vanguard Unit of the Fifth Army has reached the designated area and completed covert deployment."

Li Yuxuan opened the door: "Issue the order: without my personal written command, no one may move a single soldier; absolute silence must be maintained."

"But the gentleman's safety…"

"I have my own considerations." Li Yuxuan looked toward the brightly lit suite at the end of the corridor, his tone heavy, "May… this all be merely my overthinking."

At that moment, in the suite, the gentleman had just finished a long-distance call with the Jinling side. He set the phone down and, to the Adjutant standing nearby, said casually, "Jingxing this time has indeed made a mountain out of a molehill. Yet… having him by my side to devise strategies oddly puts me at ease."

Simultaneously, on another side of Xi'an City, within a heavily guarded mansion, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng were holding a crucial conversation in a secret room.

"Among those accompanying us this time, Li Yuxuan is the hardest to handle," Yang Hucheng said, his brows knit, his tone full of worry.

Zhang Xueliang nodded in agreement: "He commands like a god, deeply trusted by the gentleman, and the key is the few units under his command—well‑equipped, battle‑ready, and fiercely loyal to him, almost a solid iron wall. However… I've heard in passing that privately he actually leans toward ending the civil war and unifying against the outside."

"Your meaning is…?"

"Perhaps we could try to win him over." Zhang Xueliang's eyes flashed with a faint yet genuine glimmer of hope, "If we can secure him, or at least obtain tacit approval or support from the forces under his command, our chances of success would increase dramatically…"