Black Flag Army

Chapter 139 Xu Shichang comes to power

On September 3, 1918, 63-year-old Xu Shichang was elected President of the Republic of China. Four hundred and thirty-six members of the two houses of Congress participated in the election, and Xu Shichang received 425 votes. Judging from the votes alone, it seems that he was the popular choice. After the election, major newspapers across the country published the news and congratulated Xu Shichang. Surprisingly, articles congratulating Xu Shichang on his election appeared in the Justice Daily, which was considered by various factions of the Beiyang government as a way for the Black Flag Army to express goodwill to Xu Shichang. You know, when the first three presidents were elected, the Justice Daily did not congratulate them. When Yuan Shikai was elected president, the Justice Daily had not yet been published, but it was published when the last two presidents took office.

After the Black Flag Army recaptured four northern cities: Suwu City, Chita Prefecture, Nerchinsk, and Hailanpao, the Beiyang government paid more and more attention to the Black Flag Army. When the Anhui warlords fought against the southern army, they did not dare to go all out and had to leave a large number of troops in Beijing and Zhili to guard against the Black Flag Army. British and American advisers told Duan Qirui that if all the Black Flag Army transport planes were deployed, it would only take a few hours to airdrop a reorganized division of troops in Beijing, without having to enter Suiyuan or Chahar first, and then enter Zhili and Beijing as the army did before. Duan Qirui immediately felt like a thorn in his back.

After Xu Shichang became president, he sent a special envoy to Beitang City to discuss the issue of recruiting the people. The special envoy he sent was Zhang Shaozeng, the director of the Army's training and operations department and the general of Zhenwei. The Beiyang government already had a special envoy in Outer Mongolia, Yan Shichao. Xu Shichang did not use Yan Shichao, but used Zhang Shaozeng. From this point, we can see the cleverness of the new president. Prime Minister Duan Qirui had already regretted organizing the five-province coalition to attack the Black Flag Army, so he was naturally optimistic about Xu Shichang's recruitment.

In the information room on the first floor of Beihai Group, after the exhausted Xian Yuji got off Di Xiong, Di Xiong got up from the bed with sweat all over his forehead and said to Xian Yuji: "You are too crazy today. You have done it four times already, right?"

Xian Yuji wiped his sweat with a towel and said with a smile: "We have done it five times. Lan Jinchun is pregnant again and can no longer have sex. Lan Jinping is married to Li Laoshi. I am your only woman now. We only date three times a month. Of course, we should do it more often when we date. Men will get sick if they don't have sex with women for a long time. I am doing this for your own good."

When Di Xiong was about to get clothes to wear, Xian Yuji said, "Why did you forget again? Wear the clothes I brought. I will take your clothes back to wash. You can't bring the smell of my perfume back." She took clothes out of a big bag.

After returning from the last undercover visit, Xian Yujie met Lan Jinchun one day and noticed that Lan Jinchun looked at her with disgust. She was shocked and thought that something had given her away. After thinking about it, she finally thought of the perfume problem. Later, when she dated Di Xiong, she brought a set of clothes from inside to outside, exactly the same as what Di Xiong was wearing. After each date, she asked Di Xiong to wash himself first and then change into new clothes, so that the smell of perfume would not be brought out.

She picked a quarrel with Di Xiong at the Justice Party meeting and cried after the quarrel, making everyone think that they had fallen out. Because she had agreed with Di Xiong in advance, Di Xiong cooperated with her to act out a play, even fooling Lan Jinping, and comforted her for a long time after the meeting. When Lan Jinchun saw her next time, she no longer hated her. Afterwards, Di Xiong sighed and said that Xian Yuji was a natural actor and it was a pity that she didn't act.

Di Xiong said: "This time Zhang Shaozeng is visiting, and you, the Director of the Propaganda Department, will be responsible for receiving and accompanying him."

Xian Yuji said: "Why should I accompany you? There are a lot of things waiting for me to deal with in the Propaganda Department."

Di Xiong said: "The Propaganda Department is responsible for foreign affairs. We are a local government and cannot have a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the Foreign Affairs Office is under the management of the Propaganda Department, so you should receive the distinguished guests. Zhang Shaozeng will bring a few reporters with him this time. When you answer the reporters' questions, you must be careful and don't say anything nonsense. The Propaganda Department's affairs can be handed over to the section chiefs below."

There is only one director in the Propaganda Department, Xian Yujie, no deputy director, and four section chiefs under her.

Xian Yuji laughed and said, "I'm not as experienced as you. I deserve it if I said something wrong! Who told you to arrange for me to be the host?"

Di Xiong frowned and said, "I will arrange for Mayor Hu Lin to accompany you to the reception. He has experience and will remind you at any time. This is your chance to show your face in the media, don't be ungrateful."

Zhang Shaozeng and his party boarded the plane from Beijing Nanyuan Airport, because Wang Fangting, who had been the forerunner, had already agreed with Beitang City that the plane could fly directly to Beitang City, but it had to refuel once in the middle of the journey, because the Beiyang Aviation Administration bought second-hand old planes from abroad, and the range was not that far. Accompanying Zhang Shaozeng were Morrison, the British adviser to the Presidential Palace, Zhang Bingfu, a reporter from Tianjin's Ta Kung Pao, Shao Fengping, a reporter from Beijing's Shehui Daily, Carl, a reporter from the British Times, and ten entourages and bodyguards, a total of fifteen people.

Five hours later, the plane landed at the airport outside Beitang City. Shao Fengping took a look from the airport window and said to Zhang Shaozeng, "The commander-in-chief of the Black Flag Army personally came to the airport reception desk to greet us. He really gave General Zhang face!"

Zhang Shaozeng looked at Shao Fengping and asked, "Do you know him?"

Shao Fengping said, "Of course. I knew him when he was doing business and setting up a factory in Nankou Town, Beijing. In order to defend him, I lost my job and was driven out of Beijing. I was left with nothing to eat. Fortunately, Mr. Di was well-informed and grateful. He sent someone to give me ten gold bars, which solved my problem."

Zhang Bingfu enviously said, "You are so lucky. Ten gold bars are worth a thousand dollars! Many people can't earn that much money in their entire lives."

Shao Fengping said, "The one who is really lucky is Lin Yishui. This guy surrendered to Mr. Di early on, and is now the president of the famous Justice Daily. He drives a car, lives in a villa, and has bodyguards when he goes out. I also wanted to go to Beitang City at that time, but my wife at home strongly opposed it, saying that Mobei is a bitter and cold place with yellow sand everywhere, and the Black Flag Army is listed as black bandits by the government. If I go there, I will die. It's no use regretting it now."

After the plane stopped, everyone got off the plane and walked towards the reception desk. There were three people walking towards the reception desk. The most eye-catching one was not Di Xiong, but the long-haired purple-dressed woman next to him. Because she was so beautiful, Morrison and Karl both stared at her, reluctant to look away.

Karl said: "I didn't expect that there is such a beautiful woman in such a cold place outside the Great Wall. Could she have been robbed?"

Di Xiong took the initiative to reach out his hand, shook Zhang Shaozeng's hand and said: "General Zhang, it's been a long time since we last met. It's been more than four years. General Zhang is still as elegant as ever, but his temples are now gray. Please take care of yourself!"

Zhang Shaozeng sighed, "I can't compare with Brother Di! Brother Di has shown his skills and made a name for himself in the northern desert in the past four years. He recovered 700,000 square kilometers of lost territory in western Outer Mongolia, and 300,000 square kilometers of Beihai Lake. He also took Chita Prefecture, Nerchinsk, and Harbin from the Russian army. It can be said that he pulled teeth from a tiger's mouth. Brother Di's actions are even more powerful than Huo Qubing's conquest of the Wolf's Lair and Dou Xian's carving of the Yanran Stone. He will surely go down in history and be remembered forever. After I arrived in Beijing, I have been holding an empty position. I have wasted four years. How can I not age?"

Di Xiong said: "You can't praise me like that. If you do, I won't even be able to find the airport exit."

Everyone laughed when they heard this. Xian Yuji also covered her mouth and laughed, "I've heard that General Zhang is very knowledgeable and resourceful in fighting wars, but I didn't expect that he is so good at praising people."

Shao Fengping said: "Commander-in-Chief Di really deserves the eight words of "name goes down in history, and is famous for generations". I think the most important thing is not the recovery of lost territory, but the Beihai Lake water diversion project. In history, when the Central Plains dynasty was strong, Outer Mongolia was recovered many times, but it was lost again because Outer Mongolia was too poor and the environment was too harsh. The Han people couldn't stay here. How could they defend it without a population? Commander-in-Chief Di not only recovered the lost territory, but also used the Beihai Lake water diversion project to turn the desert into fertile fields, and opened so many factories. This is how millions of Han people can be retained. With a strong army to protect them, Outer Mongolia will never leave China's embrace again."

Di Xiong smiled and said, "Mr. Shao is a journalist after all. He is very talkative. I didn't even know that I had made such a great contribution."

Zhang Shaozeng introduced the Presidential Office advisor Morixun and several reporters to Di Xiong. Shao Fengping certainly did not need an introduction. Karl asked Xian Yuji in stiff Chinese: "Can I ask the name of this angel-like beautiful lady?"

Di Xiong said, "She is Xian Yuji, the propaganda director of our Justice Party. She and Mayor Hu Lin have been accompanying you on your interviews and tours in Beitang City these days."

Karl smiled happily and said, “That’s great. With such a beautiful lady accompanying us, the trip to Beitang City will definitely be very pleasant.”

He stretched out his hand to shake hands with Xian Yujie, but Xian Yujie frowned, stretched out her hand, lightly touched his hand, and quickly withdrew it.

The bus took everyone to Lanji Hotel. Di Xiong was going to welcome them here. The current general manager of Lanji Hotel is Ai Yun. After she got married and had a child, she felt that being a secretary for Di Xiong was too stressful, so she resigned from her secretary position and became a foreman at Lanji Hotel. Because of her outstanding performance, she soon became the general manager. Yang Lushuang went from a part-time temporary secretary to a long-term secretary. Di Xiong paid her two salaries according to the rules, which made the other three guards envious.

After everyone sat down in the restaurant, Morison asked Di Xiong: "Commander-in-Chief Di! I know that the Beiyang government once tried to recruit you when Mr. Li Yuanhong was president, but later changed their mind and sent troops to attack you. Now they are trying to recruit you again. Do you still have confidence in them?"

Before becoming a presidential adviser, Morrison had worked as a reporter for more than ten years. The questions he asked were very tricky, and if the answers were not good, it would cause dissatisfaction among the Beiyang government.

Di Xiong said: "The Beiyang Central Government in Beijing is like the parents, and we are like the children. If the parents beat the children by mistake, the children will feel wronged, but how can they blame the parents? So I still have confidence in this Beiyang government."

Carl, a reporter from the British Times, asked: "Commander-in-Chief Di! With your current strength, you can completely become an independent country. Why did you accept the Beiyang's offer? Based on what you did in Outer Mongolia, it proves that you are much more capable than the current Beiyang puppet president. You can completely overthrow him and become president yourself. Why didn't you do that?"

Karl's questions were even more vicious. Even Zhang Shaozeng and Wang Fangting showed angry and helpless expressions on their faces. This was because Karl was British. Foreigners had a superior status in China. They could speak nonsense without scruples, and the Beiyang government did not dare to punish them. Therefore, Karl had always been used to being unbridled.

Xian Yuji had no intention of indulging him. She said sternly, "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will have someone tear your mouth apart! In order to maintain the strength and territorial integrity of the country, so many Black Flag Army brothers shed blood and sacrificed their lives, and you actually encouraged us to seek independence! You British people like independence so much, why don't you allow Ireland to be independent? Don't you allow Scotland to be independent? And when South Africa was independent, why did you send so many troops to suppress it?"

Carl was stunned and didn't know how to answer.

Di Xiong said calmly: "President Xu of the Beiyang government is a person with rich experience in governing. He is better than me in governing. Of course, he has many shortcomings and has made many mistakes, but he is currently the most suitable president in the Beiyang government who can be accepted by all parties, so I will not overthrow him."

Zhang Shaozeng and the others heaved a sigh of relief, and then heard Di Xiong say to Karl, "Your question just now insulted the Chinese president, so you are disqualified from interviewing Beitang City. You will stay in the hotel for the next few days, and we will go back together after the interview."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this, except Xian Yuji, who thought it was normal. This was Di Xiong's style of doing things. Di Xiong snapped his fingers with his left hand, and two members of the guard brigade on duty outside came in and asked, "What do you want, Master?"

Di Xiong pointed at Karl and said to them, "From now on, take turns watching this Englishman 24 hours a day and don't let him leave the hotel."

The two team members agreed in unison.

Carl shouted angrily: "I protest! You are illegally detaining me! I am British! You can't arrest me!"

Di Xiong said: "In Bei Tang City, foreigners from any country do not have the slightest privilege!"

Xian Yuji sneered, "Illegal detention? In Beitang City, the words of the great man represent the law! So it is completely legal to detain you."

She did not realize that these words were wrong, and it was too late for Hu Lin to stop her. Later, Carl wrote her words in the "Times" to prove that Di Xiong was lawless in Beitang City, and that there were no human rights and laws in Beitang City at all, which brought great negative impact to Di Xiong.

Morison said very carefully: "Mr. Di! Our companion spoke hastily and said the wrong thing. I apologize to you on his behalf! I am now begging you in the name of the Presidential Advisor. Please don't detain him, okay?"

Di Xiong said, "I'm sorry! I can't agree with this! If you make a mistake, you have to be punished. If someone asks for mercy, you don't have to be punished. Then what is the use of law? In Britain, do you also use favors to replace the law?"

Morison was stunned and speechless for a moment.