allonlinenovel Chapter 533 Huang Guangtai's Funeral Final Meeting
Chapter 533 Huang Guangtai's Funeral Final Meeting
Huang Guangtai's funeral was successfully held within a few days. The sky of Wanbei City seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere, and the clouds hung low, oppressing everyone's heart. The generals of the garrison were dressed in neat military uniforms, and the senior officials of the government agencies also changed into solemn black dresses. They came from all directions to mourn the former leader.
At the funeral, a solemn atmosphere permeated every corner. Huang Guangtai's portrait was hung in the center of the mourning hall. His smile was still gentle and firm, as if telling people that although he was gone, his spirit would live on forever. People bowed silently in front of the portrait and presented flowers to express their respect and remembrance for this great leader.
On the second day after Huang Guangtai's official funeral, Chang Tai convened a meeting in the name of the new president of the Southern Government.
At the same time, the expeditionary army led by Chen Tong had already set up camp not far from Wanbei City. Their morale was high and their fighting spirit was strong. At the command, they would surge towards Wanbei City like a tide and completely destroy the Southern Kingdom. The Southern Kingdom government, in this precarious moment, was trying hard to find the dawn of hope.
The atmosphere in front of the Southland Center Government Building was extremely solemn. A dozen middle-aged generals in neat military uniforms stood on one side, their faces full of seriousness and anxiety, and the rhythm of their military boots on the ground seemed to be the only melody in this silent moment. On the other side, dozens of government officials in black Mao suits also gathered together, their brows furrowed, as if they were thinking about what the upcoming meeting meant.
"Brother Situ, at this time, the war on the front line is tense and the old president's body is still warm, but Chang Tai wants to hold a meeting. What does that mean?" A general lowered his voice and asked Situ Hao beside him. His tone was full of doubt and dissatisfaction, and he was obviously puzzled and dissatisfied with Chang Tai holding a meeting at this time.
Situ Hao's eyes flashed, he did not answer directly, but looked at Zhong Jiasheng who was silent not far away. Zhong Jiasheng was an important general in the Southern Army. He had a deep friendship with Chang Tai and was known as Chang Tai's capable general. Situ Hao knew that Zhong Jiasheng should have some understanding of Chang Tai's thoughts and actions.
"Brother Li, you shouldn't ask me. General Zhong has always been the closest to President Chang and they have a close relationship. You can find out the answer by asking General Zhong." Situ Hao said lightly and threw the question to Zhong Jiasheng.
Everyone's eyes turned to Zhong Jiasheng, expecting him to give an answer. Zhong Jiasheng felt everyone's gaze, he raised his head, and his eyes swept over everyone calmly. There was no expression on his face, as if he had long been accustomed to this kind of occasion.
"I just received the news about the meeting." Zhong Jiasheng said calmly. His voice was neither too loud nor too low, but loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a discussion broke out around him.
They were obviously disappointed with Zhong Jiasheng's answer. They originally thought that Zhong Jiasheng could reveal more information about the meeting. However, Zhong Jiasheng's words also made them realize that perhaps even he himself did not know the real intention of Chang Tai to hold the meeting.
Under the shadow of the Southern Government Building, Li Jun, Wang Hongquan, Liu Zhi and other military generals gathered together, all with solemn and uneasy looks on their faces.
"Brother Li, what is Chang Tai up to?" Wang Hongquan asked in a low voice, frowning. His eyes swept through the crowd around him, as if looking for a possible answer.
Li Jun snorted coldly and shook his head: "Who knows what he is thinking? Calling us to a meeting at this time, can Chang Tai really turn the tide by himself?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction and doubt in his voice.
Liu Zhi remained silent, but his eyes flashed with shrewdness. He knew that keeping silent was the best choice at this time, but at the same time he was secretly trying to figure out Chang Tai's intentions.
"Perhaps Chang Tai himself can't bear the pressure and is ready to declare surrender?" Liu Zhi finally spoke. His voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for people around him to hear clearly.
"Surrender?" Wang Hongquan was stunned when he heard this, and then a shrewd look flashed in his eyes, "Chang Tai is a loyal servant of the Huang family and a well-known tough guy. Can he advocate surrender?"
Li Jun nodded and sneered, "Humph, the Chinese cavalry is right in front of us, and their front is like a steel torrent that cannot be stopped. Chang Tai is also a human being and is afraid of death. It's no wonder that he advocates surrender!"
On the government side, Vice Premier Guo An and Director of the Political Affairs Bureau Liu Mingkai were also talking secretly.
"Brother Guo, what impact do you think Chang Tai's meeting will have on our government agencies?" Liu Mingkai asked tentatively.
Guo An smiled slightly, with a cunning light flashing in his eyes: "Influence? No matter what, we are not the ones fighting on the front line. Those reckless men in the army are more anxious than us. We can just wait and see."
Liu Mingkai nodded in agreement: "That's true. However, I think we should still remain vigilant. After all, Chang Tai's mind is hard to figure out."
"Don't worry, we are all thousand-year-old foxes, what's there to talk about?" Guo An said with a smile, a glimmer of confidence in his eyes, "There are only two possibilities for Chang Tai to hold a meeting at this time. One is to advocate surrender, and the other is to win people's hearts and hope that we will continue to work hard for the Southern Kingdom. No matter what the reason is, we can sit back and wait for the army to express their opinions. As far as I know, several generals in the army have already flirted with the Chinese side."
Although the conversation between the two was understated, the words revealed their concerns about the precarious situation of the Southern Government, as well as their cunning attempts to test each other's attitudes.
They all knew that the Southern Government was in danger at this time, and no one dared to easily reveal their true thoughts. But at the same time, they were also secretly observing each other, trying to get more information from each other's words and deeds.
In this atmosphere of silence and speculation, the door of the Southland Center Government Building slowly opened, as if foreshadowing what kind of changes the upcoming meeting would bring.
Just as everyone was talking, a tall figure walked over. Chang Tai's secretary, Ke En, walked in front of everyone in a neat suit with a professional smile on his face.
"Dear generals and government officials, the President is waiting for you upstairs. Please follow me." Cohen's voice was clear and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty.
Li Jun looked up at Cohen and sneered: "Humph, the president has a meeting, why doesn't he come down to greet us himself? Instead, he sent a secretary. What kind of thing is this?" His voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for people around him to hear.
Cohen's steps paused slightly, but soon returned to normal. He turned around and said to Li Jun with a smile: "General Li, the President has important matters to attend to and is too busy to attend to them. Please forgive me."
Li Jun snorted coldly and said nothing more, but the dissatisfaction in his eyes became more and more obvious. Other generals and government officials also exchanged glances, each with their own ulterior motives.
Wang Hongquan whispered at the side: "It seems that Chang Tai is really arrogant. When President Huang was in office, he always came down to greet us in person at every meeting. But he just sent a secretary to send us away."
Liu Zhi also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Chang Tai's approach is indeed inappropriate. However, we don't need to care too much. Anyway, we are here for a meeting today, not to flatter."
Cohen seemed not to hear their discussion and continued to lead the crowd to the government building. He kept smiling, but his eyes were shrewd. He knew that these generals and officials were old foxes, each with their own thoughts and calculations. But he also knew that as long as he took them to the meeting room, the next thing would be left to President Chang Tai to deal with.