Newborn 1927

Chapter 241 Night Talk in Wuyuan

Li Boyan didn't answer immediately. After thinking carefully for a moment, he said, "Since you've asked, Commander, I'll be frank with my thoughts. Your Dream Seeking Society's recruitment of us is essentially no different from the Kuomintang's recruitment of us into the party. Back then, our party cooperated with the Kuomintang, assisting them in establishing military academies, building the army, and seizing national power through the Northern Expedition. But the result was a massacre. If our sacrifices could bring peace and prosperity to the people, then our sacrifices would be worthwhile. But what's the reality? Look at the areas now under the Nationalist government's control—have the lives and status of the lower classes changed at all?"

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "So, you're worried that I'll be like Principal Chang, using you and then turning on you?"

Li Boyan replied calmly and confidently, "I'm willing to believe that the young commander isn't that kind of person. However, not everyone knows the young commander as well as I do. Without sufficient understanding, how can there be trust? The past serves as a lesson! The young commander should understand."

Yang Jiefang replied, "I understand, but that doesn't mean I can accept your approach. Now that the team is larger, different factions will emerge, and I can accept that. But how can I accept it if a faction exists with the aim of overthrowing my position?"

Li Boyan said, “Commander, you’re overthinking it! We never intended to overthrow your position. After all, our goals are aligned. To be honest, we simply want to limit your power. Power is like a wild beast; it cannot be unrestrained. Power without restraint is a terrible thing! No matter how brilliant or capable a person is, they cannot be infallible. To put it bluntly, Commander, can you guarantee you will never make a mistake? With your current authority and organizational structure, if you do make a mistake, how are we supposed to correct it?”

Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "I agree with that. So, what methods do you think can be used to avoid this phenomenon?"

Li Boyan replied, "The best solution is to invite the young commander to join our party! We can reorganize governments and the military at all levels according to our party's organizational principles, and then there will be nothing to worry about."

Yang Jiefang chuckled and said, "You're not the first person to bring this up with me; I've thought about it carefully myself. Let me put it this way: it's not that I don't want to join your party, it's just that the time isn't right yet."

Li Boyan pressed further, "Why? I could understand why you wouldn't join our party before when your strength was weak; but now, your strength in all aspects is enough to rival the Nationalist government. What are you waiting for?"

Yang Jiefang said, "If I hadn't come to Baotou, I really wouldn't have known how to answer your question. But now, I finally understand. Li Boyan, you've been in Baotou for a year now, you should know something about Outer Mongolia, right?"

Li Boyan asked, "I wonder which aspect the young commander is referring to?"

Yang Jiefang said, “Outer Mongolia is indisputably Chinese territory. In 1921, under the pretext of eliminating White Russian influence in Outer Mongolia, Soviet Russia launched a large-scale invasion. Under Soviet control, a so-called revolution broke out in Outer Mongolia, establishing a constitutional monarchy. Three years later, they expelled the princes and nobles, abandoned the constitutional monarchy, and established a so-called People's Republic of China, attempting to gain independence. In fact, it's clear to everyone that Soviet Russia wanted to first manipulate Outer Mongolia into independence and then find an opportunity to annex it. Do you think we should agree to this?”

Li Boyan replied, "As far as I know, China, the Soviet Union and Mongolia signed an agreement that Outer Mongolia will remain under Chinese control."

Yang Jiefang said in a deep voice: "What a joke. Since Outer Mongolia is Chinese territory, why is there a need for a tripartite agreement? What's even more ridiculous is that China, which has territorial sovereignty, does not station troops in Outer Mongolia, while Soviet Russia, which has no territorial sovereignty, does station troops there and can arbitrarily exploit its mineral resources."

Li Boyan frowned slightly and changed the subject, saying, "What does this have to do with whether you join our party or not?"

Yang Jiefang said, "I'm saying that the current People's Republic of Outer Mongolia is actually a puppet government supported by Soviet Russia. You don't have any objections, do you?"

Li Boyan could not refute this point and could only reply, "I suppose so!"

Yang Jiefang continued, “Your party is now under the command of a certain international organization, right? And this international organization is actually controlled by Soviet Russia. If I join you, will I also be under the command of Soviet Russia? Will it still agree to let me take back Outer Mongolia? Let alone take back Outer Mongolia, if I choose to break away from the Nationalist government and establish an independent country in North China, it will also be a puppet government controlled by foreign forces.”

Li Boyan was taken aback, wanting to refute but finding himself at a loss for words. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as Yang Jiefang had described, that international organization did indeed wield considerable influence.

Yang Jiefang stood up, walked over and patted Li Boyan on the shoulder, saying, "I'll give you time. When you're truly independent, then come back and talk to me about whether to join you! Until then, you'd better focus on doing your jobs well. Don't cross the line! If you do, I'm ready to wield Principal Chang's sword."

At that moment, Li Boyan clearly sensed a murderous intent emanating from Yang Jiefang, sending a chill down his spine. However, he quickly composed himself and turned to say, “Commander, no one wants to be a puppet. Our Party is still very weak and has to rely on international organizations to grow. If you choose to join us, you will greatly enhance our strength. Once we are strong enough, what difficulty is there in achieving independence?”

Yang Jiefang pondered for a moment and said, "I have been secretly supporting you and hoping that you will grow up as soon as possible. The time is not right, and I cannot join you now. In addition to the reason I just mentioned, the more important point is that I am unwilling to fight a civil war."

Li Boyan said, "If we don't completely defeat the Kuomintang reactionaries, how can the people of the world live a good life? With our current war potential, we have nothing to fear from the Nationalist government, so what are you worried about?"

Of course, Yang Jiefang couldn't say that with the September 18th Incident approaching, he was going to war with Japan. He changed the subject, saying, "Because we don't yet have an overwhelming advantage, and we're not ready for a full-scale war with the Nationalist government. Focus on building Suiyuan! The better you build it, the better I can prepare; the faster you build it, the faster you can achieve your goals."

What else could Li Boyan say? He could only nod in agreement.

Yang Jiefang continued, "After the Spring Festival, the Taiyuan Arsenal will move to Baotou, so you need to prepare in advance. Also, I plan to build another tractor factory in Baotou. You have construction experience, so you need to prepare the relevant matters."

Li Boyan nodded, then suddenly realized something and asked, "Does this tractor factory only produce tractors?"

Yang Jiefang smiled and replied, "Of course we will produce tractors, but we will not only produce tractors."

Li Boyan immediately understood that the tractor factory was actually going to produce tanks. Baotou was about to become a military industrial base, so related military facilities would definitely need to be built. At the same time, he thought that the young commander was willing to entrust him with these tasks, which showed that he was trusted. He absolutely could not betray this trust, otherwise, he would surely face utter ruin.

The following morning, Yang Jiefang and his entourage, accompanied by County Magistrate Yu, inspected the progress of water conservancy projects and land reclamation in Wuyuan County. Wuyuan County is named after its five large plains: Longyou Plain, Qidiqian Plain, Qingling Plain, Kelanzhen Plain, and Hengcao Plain. The terrain is flat and the land is fertile. Currently, the county has eight townships and over 120 collective farms of varying sizes. According to the plan, more than two million mu of arable land will be reclaimed. This is certainly not a task that can be accomplished overnight; it will require a significant increase in the number of agricultural tractors.

Yang Jiefang was very satisfied with the planning and construction progress of Wuyuan County and once again affirmed County Chief Yu's achievements. He didn't give many instructions, only reminding him to make good use of the local water conservancy facilities and take aquaculture into consideration.

In the evening, after returning to Wuyuan County, I had another long talk with Li Boyan and County Magistrate Yu.

Yang Jiefang began by saying, “China is poor and weak, surrounded by powerful enemies. Only by achieving national prosperity and military strength can we truly achieve independence and self-reliance. I want to remind you that national interests are above all else! Between nations, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies, only permanent interests.”

County Magistrate Yu didn't quite understand, but Li Boyan understood the meaning behind Yang Jiefang's words.

Yang Jiefang then stated more bluntly: "In the north of our country, there lies a giant bear. It has devoured more than 1.5 million square kilometers of our territory. This land was won by our ancestors through bloodshed and sacrifice, and was reclaimed by clearing away thorns and brambles. You know how difficult it is to reclaim wasteland. As descendants of Yan and Huang, even if we cannot expand our territory, we must at least protect the legacy of our ancestors to be worthy of our descendants. We must reclaim those territories that have been invaded."

County Magistrate Yu was startled; this meant war with Soviet Russia! He glanced back at Li Boyan, but seeing his composed demeanor, he suppressed his doubts and remained silent. In truth, Li Boyan was also struggling with the decision: which was more important, ideology or national interest? It was a question he needed to carefully weigh.

This night was different from the previous one; Yang Jiefang was basically doing the talking, and the two men were listening. He was trying to convince them of his point of view from the perspective of national interests.

Yang Jiefang continued, “If they can withdraw their troops from Outer Mongolia and return the territory they have occupied, then what's wrong with us acknowledging them as our elder brother? If they only want to take advantage and expect us to obey, well—we don't lack ancestors, why should we worship them? Based on my understanding of this polar bear, they won't willingly relinquish the land they've seized. Therefore, this battle is inevitable in order to reclaim the lost territory. Once war breaks out in the north, Baotou will be a crucial logistical base. Guns and ammunition will depend on Baotou's arsenal, and food supplies will depend on the Hetao Plain. It concerns national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Please remember! The gains and losses of individuals and groups are insignificant in the face of national interests.”

Last night, when Li Boyan heard that the Taiyuan Arsenal was to be moved to Baotou, he knew that Yang Jiefang's move must have a deeper meaning.

Then, they clearly divided their future work. Yang Jiefang said, "Li Boyan, I entrust you with full responsibility for the industrial construction of Baotou. County Chief Yu, Li Boyan recommends you for the position of Vice Mayor of Baotou, but this is not an easy job. The agricultural production and water conservancy projects in the Hetao region are arduous tasks with heavy responsibilities, and you will be fully in charge of them." His tone left no room for argument, and Li Boyan did not raise any objections. Yu Zhongyuan also expressed his willingness to accept.

After Yang Jiefang finished speaking, Li Boyan said, "Young Commander, please rest assured! We will do our best to complete the tasks assigned to me. I have a small request, and I hope you will consider it carefully!"

Yang Jiefang asked, "What request?"

Li Boyan said, "Whether the young commander is willing to join our party, and when he wants to join, is his own choice. We eagerly await your decision, but dare not force you. Even if you don't join our party, at least you agree with our party's principles. We urge the young commander to lend a helping hand to our party!"

Yang Jiefang pressed further, "What kind of help?"

Li Boyan said, "Young Commander, you should know that the Nationalist government is launching a large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign against our party's base areas in the south. The enemy is strong and we are weak! We would be extremely grateful if you could lend a hand."

Yang Jiefang pondered for a moment and replied, "You should know that this is a taboo subject for Principal Chang. If I interfere, Principal Chang will definitely turn against me. At that time, he will consider me as a member of your party and will certainly mobilize all his forces to fight against me."

This was exactly what Li Boyan and the others had hoped for. Li Boyan continued, "Young Commander, aren't you overthinking things? Let's not even talk about whether Principal Chang would dare to completely turn against you. With your intelligence, if you wanted to secretly help, would you let Principal Chang find any fault with you?"

Yu Zhongyuan also chimed in, "Yes! Little Commander, all you need to do is show us your attitude, and that will be enough."

Yang Jiefang suddenly felt a bit awkward. If he did nothing, it would be difficult to gain the trust of the people before him. No wonder they were wary. He knew that the encirclement and suppression had ultimately solidified the instructor's leadership position. If he intervened, he might inevitably change history. Whether the instructor could still rise to prominence under the suppression of the Soviet faction was uncertain. Those people wouldn't turn back unless they were driven to desperation.

After careful consideration, Yang Jiefang decided not to interfere in the encirclement and suppression, allowing it to proceed according to its original historical trajectory. Although it would come at a great cost, as long as it established the instructors' leadership and ultimately led to victory, the cost would be worthwhile.

Yang Jiefang said, "When two strong men are fighting with all their might, outsiders can't stop them. So how do we break up the fight? We can only wait until one side is beaten to the point of being unable to fight back, and the other side is also exhausted. Then it will be easy. Just knock down the one who thinks he has won with a few punches and kicks, and then we can get the two sides to sit down and talk."

Li Boyan exclaimed in surprise, "You're trying to reap the benefits of someone else's misfortune!"

Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Li Boyan, you've been worried that my power, if unchecked, might lead to irreparable mistakes. I completely agree with that. This applies to a political party, and even more so to a country. Let me be frank with you. Regardless of whether I join the new party or not, I will not completely overthrow the old party. While our country cannot allow the old party to maintain a one-party dictatorship, we also cannot allow another party to establish one. In the past, the cooperation between the new and old parties worked very well! I think it's best to continue this cooperation! As long as our country doesn't engage in internal strife, no country will dare to bully us."