Newborn 1927

Chapter 245 Having gained Long, Yet Wanting Shu

After dealing with matters in eastern Henan, Yang Jiefang reviewed several important military intelligence reports. One of them caught his attention. The Eighth Division sent a message from Tianshui: 1. Ma Hongbin had been appointed acting chairman of Gansu Province; 2. Lei Zhongtian's former Northwest Army unit had been reorganized into the newly formed Eighth Division of the National Revolutionary Army, stationed in Lanzhou.

Before the Central Plains War, Ma Hongbin was the chairman of Ningxia Province. As the Central Plains War was drawing to a close, generals of various units of the Northwest Army defected one after another. Ma Hongbin also telegraphed his allegiance to Chiang Kai-shek, and his troops were reorganized into the Provisional Seventh Division.

As for Lei Zhongtian, he was originally a brigade commander of a mixed brigade. It is said that his concubine took 100,000 silver dollars and used Soong Mei-ling's connections to promote him to division commander.

Yang Jiefang guessed that this was a scheme orchestrated by President Chang to prevent his influence from expanding into the Northwest. He telegraphed back to the Eighth Division, instructing them to pay attention to the movements in Lanzhou. As long as it didn't affect their construction of the Longhai Railway, they should ignore it for the time being. After all, the instructors wouldn't arrive for several years; there was no rush, they could wait patiently.

The morning passed quickly. A large pile of military intelligence reports remained unprocessed; they would be left for later. In the afternoon, Yang Jiefang decided to visit the Political Affairs Committee office to see if there were any important government matters to attend to.

As Yang Jiefang entered his office, a beautiful figure greeted him with a smile, calling out, "Little Commander—" The person before him was Wen Xiang, his office secretary. However, she should have returned to Sichuan; he hadn't expected her to come to Jinan again before the Lunar New Year.

Yang Jiefang asked with a smile, "Why did you come back so quickly? You haven't been home for several years, and you don't even spend the New Year at home?"

Wenxiang replied, "Staying at home with nothing to do is pointless; it's better to come back early. There's a lot of work waiting for me here. I've already organized all the documents that need your attention—" She pointed to the desk behind her. It was indeed neatly organized and categorized. After all, she was a top student from Qilu University; in handling official documents, she was far superior to Jiang Xiaojun, who only had a primary school education.

Yang Jiefang walked to his desk and sat down. With Liu Qianchu and Xu Yuezhi assisting him with administrative matters, his workload had been greatly reduced. Although he had been away for a month, there weren't many documents he needed to handle. Yang Jiefang wasn't in a hurry to deal with administrative matters and casually asked, "Where's Wang Xuncai? Where is he?" He had sent Wang Xuncai to escort Wen Xiang back to Sichuan, and he wondered how the two were getting along. However, judging from the way Wen Xiang looked at him, it seemed that Wang Xuncai hadn't succeeded.

Wenxiang turned and walked to her desk, picked up the phone and dialed a number. When the call connected, she said, "The young commander has returned to his office, come over here!" After hanging up, she added, "He'll be here in a little while."

Yang Jiefang didn't mind and picked up the official documents on the table to begin reviewing them. Some time passed before Wang Xuncai called out "Report!" and entered the office. Yang Jiefang looked up and saw that Wang Xuncai wasn't alone; a slender woman was standing close beside him. The woman, looking timid, took Wang Xuncai's arm and followed him cautiously to Yang Jiefang.

Yang Jiefang frowned. He glanced at Wen Xiang, who was looking at him smugly, and guessed what was going on.

Wang Xuncai approached Yang Jiefang, stood at attention, saluted, and then said, "Reporting to the Commander! I was ordered to escort Secretary Wen home to visit his family, and I have now returned safely. I have come to report back and request your instructions!"

Yang Jiefang turned his face slightly to the side, and although he didn't say anything, his meaning was very clear.

Wang Xuncai said, "Her name is Wenjuan, and she is Secretary Wen's cousin. She is now my fiancée, and we plan to get married before the Chinese New Year. I would like to ask the Commander to grant me a few days' leave so that I can go back to my hometown!"

Yang Jiefang was speechless for a moment. "You think I don't understand what it means to send you to escort Wenxiang home? Instead of properly pursuing Wenxiang and taking advantage of the situation to win her over, you've gone after her sister?" Speechless as he was, Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Miss Wenjuan, is that right? Hello! Hello! Thank you for choosing me as your life partner. From now on, if he dares to bully you, just tell me, and I guarantee I'll beat him half to death."

Wenjuan exclaimed in surprise, then asked in confusion, "Wasn't the young commander supposed to be a good person? Why did he hit someone?"

Yang Jiefang said, "The young commander is certainly a good person, but if someone disobeys, then they should be beaten. Don't you agree?"

Wenjuan looked at Wang Xuncai and then at Yang Jiefang, unsure whether to agree or disagree, and didn't know what to do.

Wenxiang chimed in, "Wenjuan is my sister. I'll be the first to object to anyone who dares to bully her. Commander Wang, would you bully her?"

Wang Xuncai replied, "Secretary Wen is overthinking it. She is my wife. I'm too busy protecting her to ever bully her. Even if someone else tries to bully her, I will do my best to protect her."

Wenxiang nodded approvingly and said, "That's perfect! It wasn't for nothing that I acted as a matchmaker for you two."

Yang Jiefang then spoke up, "Ms. Wenjuan, please step out for a moment! We have some military matters to discuss."

Wenjuan nodded and let go of Wang Xuncai's hand. Wenxiang walked over, took her hand, and said, "Let's wait outside first." Then she led Wenjuan outside.

As soon as the two left, Wang Xun immediately explained, "Commander, although Wenjuan comes from an ordinary family and hasn't received much education, she is gentle, considerate, filial, and hardworking. For me, being able to marry a girl like her is already more than enough. If she were a daughter from a scholarly family, my parents would probably be too afraid to even breathe loudly, and how could we possibly get along?"

Yang Jiefang waved his hand and said, "Personal marriage cannot be forced. As long as you are satisfied with each other, that's fine. It's good that you came back early. I was planning to expand the guard brigade into a personal guard division, and I'm waiting for you to come back. I think you shouldn't go back to your hometown. Bring your parents here! Let's get married in Jinan."

All the brothers who came down from Qinglong Village, regardless of their rank, would have a house arranged for them by the Black Widow on the eighth day of the lunar month if they got married. This was a custom, and Wang Xuncai was no exception.

Wang Xuncai said, "Arranging the wedding is easy. Regarding my work, I'd like to share some personal thoughts!"

Yang Jiefang said, "We're brothers, so feel free to speak your mind."

Wang Xuncai said, "I want to be transferred to the Eighth Division. Why not bring Wang Dali back and have him form the Guards Division?"

Yang Jiefang paused for a moment, then said, "Tell me your reasons!"

Wang Xuncai said, "The main reason we sent Wang Dali to the Eighth Division was to keep an eye on Ji Xingwen. After all, he came from the Northwest Army, and we were worried that he would side with Feng Yuxiang. Now that Feng Yuxiang has completely fallen, and Ji Xingwen has also turned his heart towards him, Wang Dali no longer needs to stay in the Eighth Division. He is honest and reliable, acts steadily, and is loyal enough to the young commander. He is suitable to stay by the young commander's side as a bodyguard. The young commander has ambitions for the world, and the Eighth Division should not only be used to guard a railway, but should also be proactive and expand outwards."

Yang Jiefang nodded slightly; Wang Dali was indeed better at maintaining the status quo than expanding. He looked at Wang Xuncai encouragingly, urging him to continue.

Wang Xuncai continued, “Through road construction and disaster relief, we have already garnered sufficient popular support in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. Since this support is usable, why not seize the opportunity to take Gansu and Shaanxi? The Eighth Division has over 20,000 men, organized into four infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, one cavalry regiment, and one tank battalion. With our army's combat strength, militarily occupying Gansu and Shaanxi provinces is not difficult. Therefore, my idea is to find an opportunity to launch a preemptive strike and quickly occupy Gansu and Shaanxi provinces; then, we will march south and seize Sichuan. This time, on my way to Sichuan, I first took a train to Baoji, and then traveled the Jinniu Road into Sichuan. Along the way, I studied the terrain and landforms, and I have some insights into how to conquer Sichuan. I want to give it a try!”

The people below are all eager to expand outwards, which is a good thing; we shouldn't dampen their enthusiasm. Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "You're right. Since you already have an idea, I, as your brother, should do my best to support you. However, you must remember that to occupy a place peacefully and permanently, military occupation is secondary; you must achieve political victory. You must know how to subdue the enemy without fighting. Get married as soon as possible! After the New Year, go and replace Wang Dali as the deputy commander of the Eighth Division."

Wang Xuncai couldn't help but show a look of joy and replied, "Yes."

Yang Jiefang then reminded him, "Haste makes waste. You need to be fully prepared and not rush things. We are all still young, we have plenty of time to take it slow."

After the two reached an agreement, Wang Xun left. Immediately afterward, Wen Xiang entered. She walked straight to Yang Jiefang, staring at him defiantly, and said, "What do you plan to do with me?"

Yang Jiefang replied, "How about I arrange for you to work at the Women's Daily? With your writing talent, it's a bit of a waste for you to stay here. This secretary job only involves copying documents, which Xiaojun can handle."

Wenxiang said, "Don't change the subject! You know that's not what I'm talking about."

Yang Jiefang, feigning ignorance, retorted, "Then what are you talking about?"

Wenxiang replied, "Ever since my article 'The Little Commander's Clever Rescue of the Female Student' was distorted and altered, I've been labeled as the Little Commander. Because of this label, I was able to easily break off my engagement. Do you think anyone around you would dare to make a move on me? We understand your intention in having Wang Xun escort me back to Sichuan. But ask him, does he have the guts?"

Yang Jiefang smiled helplessly and said, "How could I not understand your thoughts? I already have quite a few women around me, one more wouldn't make a difference. I don't care, but you must understand, the Commander's Mansion isn't a place you can just walk into now." Things are different now than before their marriage; Gao Huilan, Jiang Xiaojun, and other women are quite resistant to women who try to get close to Yang Jiefang. This time in Beiping, after he swore brotherhood with Xiao Liuzi, all the socialites and ladies of Beiping flocked to him. But they were all turned away at the door by Jiang Xiaojun and Sheng Fangyi; not a single one could get close to Yang Jiefang.

Wenxiang smiled and said, "You mean, as long as Sister Gao and the others can accept me, I can move into the Commander's Mansion?"

Yang Jiefang nodded and replied, "That's the idea."

Wenxiang immediately followed up, "Okay, can I leave work a little early today?"

Yang Jiefang knew exactly what she wanted to do, so he shrugged and said, "If you don't have anything to do, you can leave work anytime."

Wenxiang seemed confident and said, "Then see you tonight."

After Wenxiang left, Yang Jiefang continued reviewing the documents in his hands, but his mind kept wandering: what method would Wenxiang use to get Gao Huilan and the others to accept her? Finally, when it was time to leave work, Yang Jiefang put down his work and left the office early.

When he returned home, all the ladies were waiting for him in the main room, including Wenxiang. Judging from her expression, she showed no sign of disappointment, as if she had already been accepted by Gao Huilan and the others.

Yang Jiefang's gaze swept across the faces of the ladies, and he said, "It seems you've all been waiting for me. Speak your mind!"

Gao Huilan stood up and said, "Are all men like this? They want to take any woman they find attractive home?"

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "Of course not. If you don't agree, I won't just bring people back."

Jiang Xiaojun interjected, "It's not okay to keep them outside either."

Yang Jiefang replied, "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say, alright?"

Gao Huilan said, "You're kind enough to have a conscience. We'll acknowledge Wenxiang as our sister. But don't think we're so easy to talk to. I'm warning you, if you dare to mess with those shady women? This old lady's gun can kill too."

Yang Jiefang ignored her threats. He was still somewhat surprised that they would accept Wenxiang. It was not appropriate to ask about this in public, so he could only talk about it later.

Yang Jiefang also said seriously, "Then let me say this too. Since we've all chosen to live under the same roof, we must love and care for each other. If anyone dares to do something underhanded and hurt anyone in this house, I don't care if we're all family. I only know that if it's rotten flesh, it must be cut off!"

Gao Huilan nodded, turned around and said, "That's what I mean too, everyone, have you all listened carefully?"

No one objected, and the matter was dropped. Wenxiang was also arranged to stay at the Commander's Mansion.

After dinner, Yang Jiefang chatted with the wives for a while. Jiang Xiaojun told Yang Jiefang that Ogasawara had returned to Japan today. Before leaving, he had come to see Jiang Xiaojun, but she avoided him. Ogasawara sent someone to convey his greetings and then left.

Yang Jiefang instructed, "Send a telegram to your brother! Let him know that the dragon carriage we were riding in was bombed. I will also send him another telegram through special channels."

This is to explain the situation to Jiang Tingxuan, who is far away in Japan, through two channels, one overt and one covert, so that he can act according to the circumstances.

Sheng Fangyi made a request to Yang Jiefang: "While Mr. Wang Yuande is in Jinan, why don't we have Yan Dong come back and forth? If both sides are willing, let them finalize the marriage!"

Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "You care a lot about Wang Canzhi! Okay, I'll arrange it. It's almost the end of the year, I'll have Minister Chu make some preparations to hold a group wedding for the brothers who want to get married."

After a round of conversation, they naturally ended up in Wenxiang's room. Wenxiang was prepared and was already waiting for him there. She had been waiting for this day for two years. Two years ago, during the Jinan tragedy, in her most desperate moment, this man had appeared out of nowhere and rescued her from the clutches of Japanese ronin. Not only that, but to rescue her classmates, the two of them even staged a passionate scene next door to the Japanese ronin's room. What outsiders didn't know was that Wenxiang was inexperienced and didn't know how to act at all. It was Yang Jiefang, a seasoned lover, who aroused her desire, which enabled her to utter those enchanting sounds. From that moment on, this man could never be forgotten in her mind.

Yang Jiefang asked curiously, "What method did you use to persuade Xiaolan and Xiaojun to accept you?"

Wenxiang smiled and said, "This is a secret between us women. I can't tell you."

Yang Jiefang grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms, saying, "You still want to keep secrets from me? Let me see where you're hiding your secrets?"