Chapter 142: Xi'an Incident 2

Winter 1936, outside Xi'an, at Huaqing Pool, inside the Five Halls.

The charcoal crackled, and vigorous flames leapt in the fine copper brazier, yet they could not dispel the heavy chill that pervaded the air. At the head of the seat, the Principal, dressed in military uniform, sat upright and solemn; his gaze swept slowly, with great pressure, over every General Officer present, and finally his eagle‑sharp eyes fixed firmly on Zhang Xueliang, who sat at the lower end.

The hall was so quiet that only the faint pops of the charcoal and the suppressed breaths of those present could be heard.

"Han Qing," the Principal's voice was not loud, yet it carried undeniable authority, each word striking each person's heart, "Why does your unit still delay launching a full assault on the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi? The grand Bandit Suppression plan concerns the nation's foundation; it cannot be treated as a child's game."

Zhang Xueliang at this moment wore deep worry and fatigue across his brows. He met the Principal's gaze, his tone earnest, even tinged with a barely perceptible plea: "Principal, it is not that I, Xueliang, neglect the orders. The truth is... the truth is that the soldiers of the Northeast Army miss their fallen homeland day and night, their souls tied to the fathers and mothers between the white mountains and black waters. Today the Japanese Invaders' iron hooves trample our homes indiscriminately, the rivers and mountains are shattered, Fellow Countrymen suffer, the troops are filled with grief and anger; they truly do not wish, nor can they, point their guns again at compatriots who claim to be willing to resist Japan, continuing this fratricidal civil war! With the army's morale like this, Xueliang... Xueliang is also helpless!"

"Foolish!" the Principal slammed the table, making the tea cups clink, and sprang to his feet, "Superficial! Japan is merely a case of scabies, a skin disease! The Republic, however, is the core threat that shakes the nation's foundation! Bandit Suppression and pacification are the top priority now! If you still harbor doubts and hold your troops in check, don't blame me for showing no leniency; I will transfer your entire Northeast Army to Fujian for retraining!"

The atmosphere dropped to ice in an instant. Beside them, Yang Hucheng, seeing the scene, quickly rose to smooth things over, a cautious smile on his face, his tone softened: "Principal, calm your anger; Deputy Commander-in-Chief also harbors a fervent patriotic heart, eager to retake lost ground. His words may clash, but his sentiment is pitiable. However... not only the Northeast Army, but even the officers and soldiers of my Seventeenth Route Army, and the whole nation's public opinion, truly demand Anti‑Japanese action. If we now force them to conduct Bandit Suppression, I fear... I fear the army's morale will become unstable, morale will scatter, and trouble may arise..."

"Fear what?" the Principal coldly cut off Yang Hucheng's words, his gaze sweeping like an ice blade, "Do you think I, as the central authority, cannot command the troops under my own banner? Public opinion? What is public opinion? Maintaining internal stability and unifying orders is the greatest public opinion!"

The meeting ended in an unsatisfactory atmosphere. Zhang Xueliang's face turned ashen, and he lingered alone in the empty hall for a moment; finally, he mustered his courage and again requested an audience with the Principal.

This time, he shed all courtly politeness and restraint, his words earnest to the point of pleading.

"Principal," Zhang Xueliang's voice trembled slightly, "Xue Liang makes a final plea to you. Now across the nation, both court and common folk, the call is unanimous—stop the civil war, unite against Japan! This is the earnest hope of forty thousand Fellow Countrymen! The Republic side has repeatedly made it clear that they are willing to accept governmental reorganization and jointly march north to resist Japan. Why can't we go with the times, rally the entire nation's strength, and jointly repel the foreign aggression? For the nation and the people, this brings countless benefits and no harm!"

The Principal, with his back to him, gazed at the bleak winter garden of Huaqing Pool through the window; his silhouette appeared especially rigid and stubborn in the dusk: "Han Qing, you are still too young to understand the treachery and complexity of politics. Can the Republic be trusted? Their plan is a delaying tactic, using the name of Anti‑Japanese resistance to pursue expansion! Once the encirclement is relaxed, it will breed lingering sores and the consequences are unimaginable!"

"But Principal, now..."

"No need to say more!" the Principal snapped around, a resolute chill already on his face, "My decision is made! I give you three days, final! Within three days, either your Northeast Army launches a full-scale assault on the Red Army, or you immediately prepare to relocate to Fujian! There is no third way!"

Zhang Xueliang staggered out of the Five Halls, the biting cold wind striking him, making him shiver. At a corner of the corridor, he met Yang Hucheng, who had been waiting there for a long time. Their gazes met, and without words each saw in the other's eyes a profound despair and a resolve forced to the brink.

That night, candlelight flickered inside Huaqing Pool. The Principal summoned Li Yuxuan alone.

"Jingxing," the Principal's expression flickered in the candlelight, "In your view, Han Qing... will he obey the order this time?"

Li Yuxuan pondered for a long while; he knew the question was extremely sensitive, but ultimately decided to speak his mind frankly: "Young Master, forgive my bluntness, a forced melon is never sweet. Throughout the Northeast Army, homesickness is acute, Anti‑Japanese sentiment is high, and it is no empty talk. If we now force them into a decisive battle with the Red Army, I fear... I fear that extremes will backfire, creating a disaster too terrible to describe."

"Even you say that?" the Principal frowned displeased, his tone tinged with disappointment, "I have already given him too many chances, and them too much time! We can no longer delay! I have decided that if Han Qing still does not act, then your Fifth Army and the relevant Central Divisions will take up defense of Xi'an and surrounding strategic points, supervise the continued Bandit Suppression, and, if necessary, enforce battlefield discipline!"

Li Yuxuan was startled, quickly urging, "Young Master, could this be... too hasty? It may provoke a sudden upheaval!"

"Hasty?" the Principal sneered, a trace of irritation and arbitrariness flashing in his eyes, "They are the ones pressuring me! The situation is pressuring me! I have no patience left, nor time to wait any longer!"

On December 10, Zhang Xueliang made his final, and most formal, effort. He brought a detailed Anti‑Japanese plan, meticulously prepared with his staff over several days, and returned to Huaqing Pool. The plan even included concrete proposals for cooperating with the Red Army, troop reorganization, command hierarchy, and the route and timetable for marching north to resist Japan.

"Principal!" Zhang Xueliang's expression flushed with excitement, "If you nod and sign this plan, I dare stake my life on it: within a month the Northeast Army can complete its preparations, rally and march north, driving straight to the Anti‑Japanese front! We will retake the lost ground in one stroke!"

The Principal merely gave the thick plan an indifferent glance, casually tossed it onto the table, not even opening a page: "Han Qing, you have greatly disappointed me. As a senior Party‑State general and Revolutionary soldier, your paramount duty is to obey orders, not to be swayed by enemy propaganda and so‑called public opinion, and you must not harbor any fantasies about the enemy!"

"Principal! This is not confusion!" Zhang Xueliang raised his voice unusually, the long‑suppressed emotion nearly bursting from his chest, "This is the common wish of the entire nation! It is the only righteous path to save the nation from peril! Principal, please listen to the voice of forty thousand Fellow Countrymen!"

"Public opinion?" the Principal rose, looking down from his height at Zhang Xueliang, his gaze sharp as a blade, bearing unchallengeable authority, "The will of the central authority is the highest public opinion! All actions must submit to the Bandit Suppression grand strategy!"