Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

Chapter 135 Even old people aren't necessarily of one mind!

December 26, 1925, late at night.

The study in the Chen Mansion in Shanghai.

Chen Zijun sat behind his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface.

Forty-eight hours.

Moranzhi did not disappoint him.

The study door was pushed open, and Mo Lanzhi strode in, followed by two soldiers from the special operations battalion, who were holding a middle-aged man who was tied up.

The man's hair was disheveled, his face was full of terror, and his trouser legs were covered in mud, clearly indicating that he had just been dragged off the bed.

Chen Zijun raised his head and looked at the man's face.

silence.

A long silence.

The air in the study seemed to freeze.

The man shakily raised his head, and the moment he saw Chen Zijun, tears welled up instantly.

"Young...Young Marshal...I...I am Wang Boshan...You used to call me Uncle Wang when we were little...Don't you remember?"

Chen Zijun remained silent.

She just watched him quietly.

Wang Boshan was the head of the logistics department of Chen Jiajun's army in Shanghai, in charge of the logistics lifeline of the troops in Shanghai.

He was a veteran who followed his father, Chen Yuhe, in conquering the country.

The elder who watched him grow up was also his nanny's younger brother!

He was also the one who wrote the three characters "Falcon Awakens" with a brush on the letter found on the scarred man's corpse.

"Uncle Wang," Chen Zijun finally spoke, his voice eerily calm, "I remember."

"You remember...it's good that you remember..."

Wang Boshan cried even harder, "Young Marshal, I'm innocent! I'm truly innocent! How could I betray the Chen family army? How could I betray the Governor? I fought alongside the Governor for twenty years, shed blood, and was wounded. I even held you in my arms when you were a child!"

"Then tell me." Chen Zijun stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of Wang Boshan. "How do you explain this letter?"

Mo Lanzhi unfolded the letter and placed it in front of Wang Boshan.

The letter contained only three words: The Falcon Awakens.

Wang Boshan's pupils suddenly dilated, and his whole body trembled violently.

"This...this isn't my handwriting...it really isn't mine..."

"Not yours?"

Chen Zijun sneered, "Then why was this letter on that scarred man's person? Why did that scarred man send a coded telegram to your cloth shop before he died? Why does your cloth shop have a secret account in Guangzhou?"

Wang Boshan opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"And another thing," Chen Zijun's voice grew colder, "Last summer, when the Japanese fleet provoked us at Wusongkou, who leaked the location of our coastal artillery positions? Last month, how did the blueprints for our new rifles end up on the black market? And three months ago, why did the last batch of sulfonamide drugs, originally intended for reserve, mysteriously disappear en route?"

"I...I didn't..."

"No?" Chen Zijun abruptly drew his pistol, pressing the muzzle directly against Wang Boshan's forehead. "Then tell me, why did you suddenly have 500,000 pounds in your Japanese bank account? It was wired from Guangzhou!"

Wang Boshan's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

"That's...that's business...I'm in the fabric business..."

"You can make half a million pounds in the cloth business?" Chen Zijun's finger was on the trigger. "Wang Boshan, do you think I'm a fool?"

Wang Boshan completely broke down.

He collapsed to the ground and wailed loudly.

"Young Marshal... I was wrong... I was really wrong... I was forced into it... Chiang Kai-shek's side has something on me... I had no choice..."

"Forced?" Chen Zijun looked at him coldly. "Forced to betray the Chen family army? Forced to leak military secrets? Forced to destroy our shipbuilding funds?"

"I...I didn't intend to destroy it...I just wanted to stall for time...I wanted to save the warlord some money..."

"Spend less money?" Chen Zijun pressed the gun barrel forward slightly. "Do you know that if that cruiser can't be built, the Japanese fleet can blockade the Yangtze River at any time? Do you know what that means?"

Wang Boshan dared not speak.

Of course he knew.

But it's too late for him to turn back.

"Wang Boshan," Chen Zijun's voice suddenly became very soft, "Do you remember what my father said to you when he sent you to Shanghai?"

Wang Boshan raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

"The warlord said... I should take good care of you..."

"Yes," Chen Zijun nodded. "He said you're his old brother, and he wants me to treat you with respect."

Wang Boshan's tears welled up again: "Young Marshal... please, for the sake of the Governor... spare me this time... I'll never dare to do it again... I really won't dare to..."

"Spare you?" Chen Zijun laughed, a chilling laugh. "Wang Boshan, you betrayed the Chen family army, you betrayed the people of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, you betrayed the empire my father built. Do you think I would spare you?"

"Young Marshal..."

"Take him away." Chen Zijun sheathed his pistol, turned, and walked towards his desk. "Lock him in the water dungeon. Tomorrow morning, in front of all the generals, I will personally carry out military law."

Wang Boshan's screams echoed in the study.

Two special operations battalions of soldiers dragged him out.

Silence returned to the study.

Mo Lanzhi stood there, head down.

"Young Master..."

"explain."

"Wang Boshan is Wang Ma's younger brother..." Mo Lanzhi's voice was very soft, "Wang Ma raised you from a young age...she was your wet nurse..."

Chen Zijun's fingers paused on the table for a moment.

"I know."

"What about Wang Ma...?"

"Don't touch her." Chen Zijun sat down again. "Wang Ma is Wang Ma, and Wang Boshan is Wang Boshan. She raised me since I was little, and I have feelings for her. But if she really is in cahoots with Wang Boshan..."

He didn't finish speaking.

But the meaning is already very clear.

"Yes." Moranzhi bowed her head. "Your subordinate understands."

"And one more thing." Chen Zijun raised his head, his eyes filled with murderous intent, "I want all officers of regimental rank and above to be present for the military court execution tomorrow morning. I want them to see with their own eyes the consequences of betraying the Chen family army."

"yes!"

……

The next day, at 10:00 AM.

The auditorium of the Chen Family Army Garrison Command.

One hundred and twenty officers at the regimental level and above stood in neat rows, creating a somber atmosphere.

In the center of the auditorium, Wang Boshan knelt on the ground, his hands tied behind his back, a rag stuffed in his mouth, his face filled with despair.

Chen Zijun walked in through the back door.

The sound of military boots clattering on the floor echoed through the auditorium.

Tap, tap, tap.

He walked up to Wang Boshan and stood still.

All the generals' eyes were on him.

No one dared to speak.

"Wang Boshan," Chen Zijun's voice echoed in the auditorium, "you followed my father for twenty years and made great contributions in battle. I've called you Uncle Wang for twenty years."

Wang Boshan raised his head, his eyes full of pleading.

"But," Chen Zijun's voice suddenly turned cold, "he betrayed the Chen family army, leaked military secrets, and attempted to destroy our shipbuilding plan. These crimes are enough to kill you ten times over."

The generals below the stage looked at each other, and some couldn't help but lower their heads.

They all knew that Wang Boshan was a former subordinate of the old marshal, an elder who had watched the young marshal grow up. Many people wondered if the young marshal would show leniency out of respect for the old marshal.

"Young Marshal, spare me... Waaah..." Wang Boshan's mouth was stuffed with rags, and he could only let out muffled wails.

"Spare me?" Chen Zijun drew his pistol, pointing the muzzle at Wang Boshan's forehead. "If I spare you today, there will be a second Wang Boshan, a third Wang Boshan, tomorrow. The Chen family army doesn't need this kind of loyalty."

boom!

A gunshot rang out.

A bloody hole appeared between Wang Boshan's eyebrows. His body fell backward, twitched twice, and then remained still.

Blood spread across the floor.

The auditorium was deathly silent.

All the generals held their breath.

Some people turned pale, some gritted their teeth, and some secretly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

They all knew that today's shot had killed more than just Wang Boshan.

What was killed were all those within Chen's army who harbored wishful thinking.

Chen Zijun put the gun back in its holster and looked around the room.

"Gentlemen."

"Within the Chen family army, traitors will be killed without mercy."

"No matter who you are, no matter how many merits you have made, no matter what your relationship with me is, if you betray me, there is only one outcome."

"die."

His voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Starting today, the entire army will be purged. Moranzhi, you are in charge."

"Yes!" Moranzhi stepped out from the corner, her voice loud and clear.

"No matter who we find, no matter how many people are implicated, we will investigate to the end." Chen Zijun's eyes swept over every general. "I'm not afraid of a purge. I'm only afraid of a purge that isn't thorough enough."

"Understood!" all 120 generals replied in unison.

……

In the afternoon, at the Chen Mansion.

Wang Ma knelt before Chen Zijun, weeping bitterly.

"Young Master... I really don't know... My brother... how could he do such a thing... I really don't know..."

Chen Zijun looked at the old man who had raised him since childhood and felt a pang of sadness.

Whether Wang Ma truly didn't know, no one could guarantee it! After all, Wang Boshan had been lying low for quite some time!

Mo Lanzhi investigated all night and found that Wang Ma had nothing to do with Wang Boshan's betrayal. However, as the housekeeper of the Chen Mansion and her own wet nurse, and given that Wang Boshan was not exposed before, it would not arouse suspicion no matter how the two contacted each other. It would be too easy to cover it up.

"Wang Ma," Chen Zijun helped her up, "Get up."

"Young master... I'm guilty... I'll pack my things and go back to my hometown right now..." Wang Ma cried even harder.

"Go back to your hometown?" Chen Zijun frowned. "You've worked at the Chen Mansion for so many years, this is your home."

"But...but my brother..."

"He is him, and you are you." Chen Zijun looked into her eyes. "Aunt Wang, you raised me since I was little, I trust you. But I also know that you're hurting inside."

Wang Ma nodded, sobbing.

"How about this?" Chen Zijun thought for a moment, "During this time, you will stay at the Chen mansion and help me prepare for my wedding with Sister Cao. You know Sister Cao, and I value this matter very much; only you can handle it well."

Wang Ma was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "I...I will definitely do it well! I will definitely do it well!"

"Go ahead," Chen Zijun patted her shoulder. "Don't overthink it."

Wang Ma left, wiping away her tears.

Chen Zijun watched her retreating figure with a complex expression in his eyes.

He kept Wang Ma around partly because she hadn't found out anything yet, and partly because he wanted to set an example for the other elderly people, showing that he, Chen Zijun, was not a mean and ungrateful person.

On the other hand, it was also to take a look.

Let's see if anyone comes to see Wang Ma because of Wang Boshan's matter.

If so, it means there are even deeper traitors within Chen's army.

……

evening.

Moranzhi walked into the study with a document in her hand.

"Young Marshal, this was found in Wang Boshan's mansion."

Chen Zijun took the document and opened it.

His pupils suddenly dilated.

This is a list.

A long list.

The page was covered with names, and behind each name were the job title, contact information, and... the price offered by Guangzhou.