I am Jiang Weiguo in World War II

Page 346

Lan Muzhu nodded: "Yes, developing the economy is correct and should be done, but if the method or route is wrong, the cart may be turned upside down.

The foundation of a country is the people, the vast majority of the working people, you have to fight for their interests, not..." She hesitated to speak, and looked at Jiang Weiguo timidly, as if she dared not continue.

"Instead of what?" Jiang Weiguo looked at her in surprise.

Lan Muzhu collected herself and mustered up her courage. She was not afraid of Jiang Weiguo. She had known Jiang Weiguo for a long time, and she knew Jiang Weiguo's "good temper and soft temper", so she continued: "Not... Let a small group of vested interests get rich, and let the people continue to live in such poverty!"

"No?" Jiang Weiguo felt that he was too wronged and wronged, "I have always wanted to let the common people live and work in peace and contentment, and have enough food and clothing!"

Lan Muzhu nodded: "I know that you are concerned about the country and the people, but your approach seems not right. Look at you, you have spent so much money to set up factories, businesses, and attract investment. A large number of entrepreneurs make them all very rich, and all of them earn a lot of money every day, but what about the general public? Isn’t their wealth plundered by those entrepreneurs?”

"No, no, no!" Jiang Weiguo shook his head, "You're not right! Wealth is not fixed, it can be increased and created. Those entrepreneurs are not plundering the wealth of the common people, but creating wealth. At the same time, promote the country's economic growth, give back to the society, and drive the common people to become rich together.

Entrepreneurs' wealth does not come in vain, it is also earned by labor!"

"But..." Lan Muzhu said in surprise, "Wealth is not even at all! A farmer's total income from farming for a year is only about [-] yuan, but an entrepreneur who runs a factory can make a profit of several thousand a month." Even tens of thousands of dollars.

If this continues, won't the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?Isn't society supposed to be equal?And those officials, how much money was embezzled..."

"Propaganda!" Jiang Weiguo slammed out the cigarette butt, what did he think of, "the North China Political Affairs Committee currently has fifteen divisions, and there is one missing, the propaganda division!" The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he was right. Organized, planned, and large-scale publicity work! Let the general public know the government's work and its purpose! Don't let the common people misunderstand the government! Otherwise, there will be such irrational demands for the resumption of the war and smashing up Japanese business enterprises. Things! By the way, there is also the issue of anti-corruption! This is also a top priority!" He was reminded by Lan Muzhu, and he became more and more anxious, because since he started to build and develop Shandong and Jin provinces, corrupt officials have emerged in endlessly , We must come up with an effective method and an effective mechanism, "Independent Commission Against Corruption!" Jiang Weiguo slapped his thigh, "Establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption directly under the North China Political Affairs Committee! Set up branch offices in every province, city, and county! Government officials, Military officers must report to the Independent Commission Against Corruption the properties of individuals and three generations of immediate family members! Property income and property expenditures must be clearly listed! Let public opinion supervise and maintain property transparency!"

"ICAC? Property disclosure?" Lan Muzhu was very surprised. She was overwhelmed by Jiang Weiguo's new terms and ideas. "Are you going to disclose your property?"

"Of course!" Jiang Weiguo shrugged, "Anyway, every penny in my pocket is clean! I'm not guilty!"

"Brother Wei!" Sun Tao hurriedly pushed open the door, "The assassin has been caught!"

"How is it?" Jiang Weiguo looked at him hurriedly, "Who is it? Who appointed him?"

Sun Tao shook his head: "It's already dead.

The brothers rushed over and surrounded the building. He couldn't fly. The brothers searched floor by floor and found that he was still on the roof and had shot himself. There was a sniper rifle with a scope and a pistol beside him.

We checked the body, but there were no clues. He was wearing civilian clothes and had no documents on him, but there were calluses on his right hand, especially on the index finger and the tiger's mouth, and there were traces of wearing a military cap on the sideburns of his ears. It can be determined that he is a professional Military, but unidentified, not from our unit.

As for the weapons he used, the sniper rifle is a German 98k, and the pistol is also a German shell gun!"

"He didn't intend to escape or resist at all? He committed suicide directly?" Jiang Weiguo was very surprised.

Sun Tao nodded: "Such a die-hard person is really rare!"

"Damn it! Who wants my life anyway?" Jiang Weiguo was puzzled and shocked.

More than ten minutes later, Liu Wugou came back with his head held high and his chest held high as a winner: "I have convinced you!"

"You've worked hard, you've worked hard!" Jiang Weiguo repeatedly expressed his approval, "How did you convince me?"

Liu Wugou said triumphantly: "Rely on my wisdom and eloquence, and of course, those fallacies you taught me.

I told them, either join the army immediately, or go back to school and study hard to be a person useful to the country. Add to the chaos? "

Jiang Weiguo nodded: "Okay, let's go quickly, go to Wuhan, the plane has been delayed for a long time!"

In the evening of the same day, Jiang Weiguo met Chiang Kai-shek in Wuhan, and the father and son started a separate discussion.

"Father, my attitude towards the issue of the four southwestern provinces is that it must be completely resolved!" Jiang Weiguo cut to the chase and had a clear-cut attitude.

Chiang Kai-shek nodded with joy, seeing that his son was of one mind with him, which made him quite relieved.

"A complete solution is inevitable," Jiang Weiguo changed the subject, "However, it is better not to use force, and try to resolve it peacefully.

Solve it thoroughly, and solve it peacefully at the same time!"

"Wei'er..." Chiang Kai-shek sighed softly, "I know what your reason is, but you remember, you must first settle down when fighting against the outside world! Those local snakes in the southwest are arrogant and aggressive, and they don't pay attention to the central government at all. Li! It’s already a period when military orders and government orders are smooth, but you still dream of cracking the soil and becoming the king and emperor of the land! It’s simply wishful thinking! The dream of the Spring and Autumn Period! It is to put individuals and small groups above the party and the country!” He said , the tone and expression became more and more severe, "Wei'er, I guess you don't know very well, the warlords in the southwest, Long Yun, Deng Xihou, and Liu Wenhui have no ambitions, they just want to guard their one-third of an acre. He is a local prince, but Li Zongren is different. Li Zongren has great ambitions. It is not his ambition to be the emperor of a single province in Guangxi, but his ambition is to win the central government! Get your father and I off this chair and replace him! I I am worried that the four provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Diankang, and Kangxi will become Li Zongren's small kingdom in the southwest! Letting them go now is to appease and raise traitors! It is to raise tigers! As time goes by, their army will increase, and their strength will increase. It is getting stronger and stronger, and it might even collude with other anti-self and anti-central people or forces in the country, and even collude with foreign powers! At that time, if you try to eradicate it, you will be in trouble!"

Jiang Weiguo nodded: "Father is right!"

Chiang Kai-shek continued: "If a country wants to be really strong, centralization is a must! There must be one country, one government, and one leader! How can we do things independently? Isn't it fragmented and scattered? Are there warlords in Germany? Are there warlords in the United States? Are there warlords? Are there warlords in the Soviet Union? Even in the Commonwealth, there are no local separatist forces in the UK! In China, there are many factions and warlords! Your father and I have been doing this. Others say I am eradicating dissidents , The party is the same, this is nonsense! Or, it is misleading to confuse right and wrong! Because this is what I have to do! Because this thing is beneficial to the country and the people! Say I am doing this for my position, Either he is a fool or he has sinister intentions! Think about it from another angle, if Li Zongren is the leader of the party and state, and I become king in Guangxi, will he let me go? Of course it is impossible! This is what the national leader must do! It's not your father, I want to do this kind of thing myself! Even if it was Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, didn't he want to withdraw the feudal clan? Over the years, I was exhausted and exhausted for this matter. Before the Anti-Japanese War, Li Jishen from Fujian, He Jian from Hunan, and Guangdong Chen Jitang from China, Wang Jialie from Guizhou, Zhang Xueliang from Northeast China, and Yang Hucheng from Shaanxi are all separatists. There are also Song Zheyuan from Hebei, Han Fuju from Shandong, and Yan Xishan from Shanxi. Is there any help?"

Jiang Weiguo remained silent. Although Chiang Kai-shek's words were suspected of beautifying himself, they were also true.

Chiang Kai-shek added: "In the past, I endured them, allowed them, spoiled them, and even let them push their noses in the face, because the central government was too busy and lacked skills, especially the Japanese, which restrained too much military power and energy of the central government. Now, the time has indeed come for a thorough settlement of this matter! This matter must not be tolerated! It must not be delayed! It must be done once and for all! It must be eradicated! Otherwise, the Central Plains War nine years ago will not be repeated again!" His words became more and more serious Stern, with a trace of murderousness flashing across his expression.

The Sino-Japanese War was the fuse of this incident and completely intensified it.

Because of the "help" of the Japanese, Song Zheyuan, Han Fuju, and Yan Xishan all collapsed, and Liu Xiang died. Although the Sino-Japanese war caused heavy losses to the Nationalist Government's Central Army faction headed by Chiang Kai-shek, they were not defeated after all, and they took the opportunity "The curve recovered" several provinces, so their strength did not decrease but increased. As for the local warlords, the local army fought bloody battles in the War of Resistance and made great achievements in battle. At the same time, they suffered heavy casualties and huge losses. They were all seriously injured, and of course Chiang Kai-shek would not supplement the local warlords. He would not give anything but a lot of medals. Killing people with a knife made the local warlords cold-hearted on the one hand, and on the other hand, they all had a great sense of crisis, so the four southwestern provinces "collectively rebelled."

Regarding this big issue, the senior officials of the national government and the national army are divided into two factions, one is "main peace" and the other is "main war".

The peace faction believes that it cannot be fought, but must be appeased, because, first, the local army contributed a lot in the war of resistance, and the central government deliberately ignored or even took the opportunity to weaken it. It is indeed at a moral and public opinion disadvantage. If the central government fights, it will be even more credible. , prestige, and reputation are not worth the loss; second, no matter how the war and the situation are, it will consume a lot of military, manpower, material, and financial resources, and consume China’s national power, which has been greatly damaged after the Sino-Japanese War. The war has ceased, but the international situation is still far from being able to sleep peacefully. China and Japan may fight again at any time, and the Soviet Union is also eyeing it. China cannot have a civil war; If there is another war between China and Japan or another foreign invasion war breaks out, the local army will inevitably go on strike passively or even secretly communicate with the foreign enemy. Fourth, after this Sino-Japanese war, the central government has already recovered Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei, Suiyuan, and Chahar. , Rehe and other large areas that were formerly occupied by the local army or the Japanese-occupied areas, the strength of the central government has greatly increased. As for Li Zongren and the others, they are only occupying the four southwestern provinces, and their strength is far inferior to that of the central government. The central government will keep them for the time being. What a big wave; Fifth, it is not impossible to solve the four southwestern provinces without fighting. They can be gradually recovered through "moderate means" such as infiltration, differentiation, and encroachment.

The main combat faction thinks: we cannot tolerate it, we must fight, because, first, the reason why China is so weak and let the big powers take advantage of it is because the warlords are divided and the country is scattered. It is inevitable and urgent to eliminate the warlords and complete the reunification. This is a big principle; second, if local warlords are indulged, they may make a comeback and make a comeback on the one hand, and on the other hand, they will threaten the central government by relying on their own territory and power. What is the authority of the central government?The four provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Kangxi have a combined area of ​​about 150 million square kilometers, larger than the Japanese-occupied area, and a total population of about 7500 million, which is larger than the Japanese-occupied area. Such a large place, such a large population and If the finances and various resources of the four provinces are not returned to the central government, when will it be?The four provinces belong to the central government, not the private property of local warlords; third, the four provinces have vast land and a large population. surge, and even united with the three provinces of the Majia Army in the Northwest, and even colluded with foreign powers to betray the Central Committee at a critical moment for the party and the country (it is conceivable that if China and Japan fight again, the four southwest provinces will definitely avoid war passively and engage in It is not good to make things worse when the Central Army is fighting the Japanese army, and keeping the four southwestern provinces is tantamount to keeping disasters when China and Japan fight again); fourth, precisely because the international situation is still far from the point where we can sleep peacefully, Therefore, long-term pain is better than short-term pain, and a quick battle can completely eradicate the cancer of these countries; fifth, right now can be said to be the best time for the central government to eradicate local warlords. No longer being held back by the Japanese, they can fully devote themselves to suppressing bandits and rebellions. Moreover, after the Sino-Japanese War, the local army was greatly damaged and its strength was greatly damaged. The central government basically did not provide supplements, which led to its depression at this time and the decline of the local army. , The central army is excited, one ebbs and another, not taking a decisive action is simply a missed opportunity. If appeasement measures are adopted, the local army will recover after a few years of rest. snake.

Now that the central government has a great opportunity and great superior strength, there is absolutely no need to be merciful and polite to the local warlords.

The central government's recovery of the four southwestern provinces and its vast land, large population, and rich resources are of great benefit to the country's construction and development. Therefore, this war will not deplete the national strength, but instead increase it.

Chen Cheng is the core figure of the main combat faction. He predicted: As long as the central government makes the greatest determination and exerts the greatest force, and invests heavily in one breath, with the strength of the central army and the current situation of the local army, "the four southwestern provinces will be wiped out within three months." , among them, "fight Sichuan for one month, Xikang for five days, Yunnan for ten days, and Guangxi for a month and a month and a half for the elder", "There is no need to solve it politically, but only military solution" "Although the four southwestern provinces are united, But it is a group of mobs with their own ulterior motives, and the Central Army's soldiers are pressing down on the border. There will definitely be people who know the current affairs among them, and they will abandon the dark and turn to the bright, which will cause the entire alliance to fall apart."

Chiang Kai-shek was already inclined to "resolve by force". Hearing Chen Cheng's analysis, he strengthened his confidence and determination.

In the original history, Liu Xiang died of illness in early 1938. Chiang Kai-shek did not complete the control of Sichuan Province until the end of 1941 through "bloodless political means". Here, Wuhan was lost, and Chiang Kai-shek's situation in retreating to Chongqing was almost "under the fence").

Right now, Chiang Kai-shek obviously doesn't have that patience, and he doesn't have the need for that. He can't plan to dawdle and procrastinate for a few years to "gently solve" and directly mobilize the army to plow the court and sweep the holes and destroy the ruins. solve.

"Father..." After listening to Chiang Kai-shek's description, Jiang Weiguo said solemnly, "There is no doubt that it is best to use force to solve the problem, but I want to remind you of one thing, according to the reliable information I have obtained. , the Soviets are currently transporting arms and supplies to the Far East on a large scale!"

"What?" Chiang Kai-shek was taken aback, "Wei'er, is this true?"

Jiang Weiguo nodded: "Father, there is no joke in the army, how could I joke with you on such a big matter?"

A thick layer of gloom immediately appeared on Chiang Kai-shek's face: "What are the Soviets trying to do?"

"It's still unclear!" Jiang Weiguo sighed, "Still investigating, spying, and analyzing.

However, we can speculate that the Soviets’ move is to strengthen the strength of their Far East Front, either to guard against us, or against Japan, or against China and Japan, which have already shaken hands and secretly allyed with the Germans. Of course, the Soviet Union People don't have to be passive defensive, the Soviets may want to pre-emptively attack and take the initiative!"

"Preemptive attack? Take the initiative?" Chiang Kai-shek was taken aback again, "Against us? Or..."

Jiang Weiguo shook his head, with the same dignified expression as Chiang Kai-shek, "I don't know, maybe it's for the Japanese, maybe it's for us, but, father, don't forget, we have signed an alliance treaty with the Japanese, if the Japanese are defeated by the Soviets , I'm afraid we can't stay out of it!"

"This..." Chiang Kai-shek hesitated, after all, this major emergency was beyond his expectations.

"Father!" Jiang Weiguo sighed, "I firmly support the 'complete settlement' of the Southwest issue, and I also firmly support the 'peaceful settlement'.

Foreign enemies may be coming again, we don't have any extra strength to fight a civil war!"

Chapter 418 Pacifying the Southwest (1)

Chiang Kai-shek stood up and paced back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back, his expression as solemn as iron. Obviously, he felt a mixture of anxiety, worry, and anger. Originally, according to the analysis of Chen Cheng and others, the Central Army wiped out the The conditions of the Southwest Warlords were very good, but something happened unexpectedly. The Japanese wolf retreated temporarily, but the more brutal and greedy polar bear came.

"Wei'er..." Chiang Kai-shek pondered again and again, "What can you do?"

"Yes!" Jiang Weiguo said with certainty, "Father, we have a way to defeat others without fighting!"

"Tell me!" Chiang Kai-shek's eyes flashed.

Jiang Weiguo analyzed: "In the four provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Kangxi, Liu Wenhui in Xikang is the least powerful and the weakest. Moreover, during the Anti-Japanese War, Liu Wenhui passively avoided the war and preserved his strength. He did not send a single soldier to participate in the war. The central government's attack on him can be said to be a famous teacher. , The name is justified, fighting, I am afraid that there will be a fight, and the only target is Liu Wenhui. As for the Guangxi Army, the Dian Army, and the Sichuan Army, they have all worked hard in the War of Resistance.

Both Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi are very smart. They are actively creating a public opinion offensive, criticizing the central government for "the party is united in cutting down dissidents, mutilating Zhongliang, crossing rivers and demolishing bridges, and neglecting the troops who have made great contributions to the war of resistance." This is indeed their advantage and also the central government's handle.

Among the four southwestern provinces, Xikang is the weakest, and Guangxi is the strongest. Although Guangxi is not as large as Sichuan in terms of territory and population, Li Bai and his two have worked hard for many years, making the entire Guangxi province a golden soup and an iron barrel, and the fighting strength of the Guangxi army. His bravery and tenacity are also among the best in the country.

Among the four provinces, Guangxi is the strongest, followed by Yunnan, which is not strong overall, but is still a whole, followed by Sichuan, which is large and divided but divided, and Xikang is the weakest.

Father, the Alliance of Four Southwest Provinces is headed by Guangxi, and Li Bai is the core. As long as we find a way to change Li Bai's mind, add to the suppression of Xikang in one fell swoop, demonstrate the military power of the Central Army, conduct military deterrence, divide and win over the small factions in Sichuan, Sichuan will be able to Even if Li Bai is capable, it is impossible for Li Bai to make a comeback!"

Chiang Kai-shek nodded: "What you said is very reasonable, but Li Bai and Li Bai are stubborn, how can we make them change their minds?"

Jiang Weiguo said with a smile: "Father, the reason why they are stubborn is because they and the central government are too suspicious of each other. If we express our true sincerity, I believe they will accept it as soon as they see it, and retreat in spite of difficulties.

Li Bai is all smart people, they look aggressive and do not give an inch, but in fact they know it well, and if they really fight, their four provinces are definitely not the central opponents!"

Chiang Kai-shek said in surprise: "Wei'er, what is 'true sincerity'?"

Jiang Weiguo paused: "I'll go to Guangxi!"

"What?" Chiang Kai-shek was taken aback, "Are you going to Guangxi? To the territory of Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi?" He shook his head again and again, expressing his objection, "No! No! It's too dangerous! You are throwing yourself into a trap!"

"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get a tiger cub?" Jiang Weiguo said solemnly, "I must go.

Father, I have dealt with Li Zongren during the Xuzhou battle. He admired me very much, and I respect him very much, and we both left a good impression on each other.

This matter is not up to me!"

"Wei'er!" Chiang Kai-shek became anxious, "You are acting on your own will! Have you forgotten the lesson your father and I suffered in Xi'an? What if you run to Guangxi, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi turn their faces and deny you, and detain and imprison you?" , or even kill you, what do you do? By then, it will be too late to regret it!" He was heartbroken.

"Father is worrying too much!" Jiang Weiguo laughed, "First, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi are heroes and heroes, not fools like Zhang Xueliang. As the saying goes, if the two armies are at war, they will not do such a thing if they don't kill each other. What’s more, behind the incident in Xi’an is the shadow of the CCP and the Soviet Union. Although Li Bai and his father have different political views, they are both members of the Kuomintang and the National Government, and their nature is different; , Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi are smart people. They know very well that detaining me or killing me will have a great negative impact on them. Father, your son, I am an anti-Japanese hero, and I have a good reputation in all walks of life across the country. Isn’t rudeness ruining their reputation? Afterwards, the national government can publicize like this, “The chairman sent Jiang Weiguo to Guangxi to show his sincerity in order to peacefully resolve the Southwest incident. Unexpectedly, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi detained Jiang Weiguo to intimidate the chairman and the Central Committee.” Tsk tsk, Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi have really become street rats. The Central Army really wants to use force, and because of this, it suddenly gained the upper hand in morality and public opinion. In addition, I am the son you love most, father. Will you think of the consequences of your Longyan's anger? Father, you will definitely hate them to the bone, and there will be no room for maneuver in this matter. The Central Army will completely quell Guangxi and wipe out the Guangxi Army. The Nanjing Army will also join the battle. Gui No matter how strong the army is, it is no match for the Nanjing army. The Nanjing army will completely lose the foundation of Li Bai and Li Bai, and my intelligence department will hunt them down all over the world; There are only advantages and no disadvantages for me to have a good relationship, and I did not go empty-handed; fourth, I will learn from your father in Xi'an and take all precautions, so there will be no danger.

Father, don't worry! "

Chiang Kai-shek looked at Jiang Weiguo movedly: "Wei'er, thank you for your hard work! It's hard for you!"

Jiang Weiguo smiled, with a frank and sincere expression: "Father, you are the leader of the party and state, and I am your son, so I must also contribute to major national affairs. This is my responsibility!"

Next, the father and son spent more than an hour discussing specific countermeasures for "peacefully but thoroughly resolving the Southwest".

The attitude of the father and son is the same. They cannot be tolerated and cannot continue to allow warlords to exist. Even if they made meritorious service during the War of Resistance, their existence violated the interests of the country after all. Therefore, "peaceful settlement" is a means, not an end. "Solution" is by no means a peace of mind. We will continue to acquiesce to those warlords who separatist the country, but try to solve it without bloodshed, because "peace" is followed by the word "complete".

The country must be substantively unified, otherwise it cannot be truly strong.

In the morning of the next day, Chiang Kai-shek sent a telegram to Li Zongren, claiming that "in order to peacefully resolve the dispute between the central government and Guangxi, we will soon send Jiang Weiguo to Guilin, Guangxi to meet with Brother Delin for consultation and settlement, do not disclose it."

After some preparations, after lunch, Jiang Weiguo, personally sent off by Chiang Kai-shek, took a plane from Wuhan and flew to "Longtan and Tiger's Cave".

The provincial capital of Guangxi is Nanning, but Nanning is located in the south of Guangxi, which is farther than Guilin in the north of Guangxi, so Jiang Weiguo put the meeting place in Guilin (in the original history, during the Anti-Japanese War and the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, in order to facilitate military deployment, the provincial capital of Guangxi was once Temporarily moved to Guilin.

In addition, Guangxi is different from the situation of "provincial capital and one city dominating" in many provinces. The cultural center of Guangxi is in Guilin, the industrial center is in Liuzhou, the commercial center is in Wuzhou, and the military and political center is in Nanning. The distribution is relatively even). Guilin is controlled by the national government Hunan Province is only a few tens of kilometers away. In case Jiang Weiguo "has an accident" in Guilin, the Hunan Central Army will naturally be able to quickly dispatch to "rob people".

Chiang Kai-shek originally asked Jiang Weiguo to "bring more people" to Guilin, but Jiang Weiguo didn't take it seriously. How could he bring more people?How many people can the plane carry?If a battalion or regiment is exhausted, should the paratrooper brigade be dispatched?What is the use of thousands of people?If you take a division by railway and road, then, are you here to negotiate or to fight?So Jiang Weiguo brought his own company of guards.

When the plane landed at Guilin Airport, Li Zongren, who was already waiting at the airport, was surprised by Jiang Weiguo's "courage". There are still a few small airports, distributed in Nanning, Guilin, Liuzhou, Wuzhou, these major and important cities in Guangxi. There are very few planes, only a few, which belong to the Chinese Air Force in name, but in fact it is equivalent to the Chinese Air Force donating to the Guilin. Yes, it is used for Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi and other high-level officials of the Guangxi Clan to go on tour.

Therefore, Li Zongren was originally in Nanning, so he had already arrived in Guilin at this time.

).

"Mr. Li, long time no see!" After getting off the plane, Jiang Weiguo greeted Li Zongren with a calm smile.