Chapter Fifty: The Intelligence Office of the Marshal’s Residence

Night of October 25, 1938—Headquarters of the 386th Brigade

“The Northeast Army has its own intelligence organization?” Li Yunlong asked in surprise. He had never heard of such a thing. The Huanggutun Incident, the Chinese Eastern Railway dispute, the Central Plains War, the September 18 Incident—none of them suggested that the Northeast Army had enjoyed accurate intelligence support. The whole affair had been a complete mess.

“It did, in fact, exist,” the Brigade Commander explained. “The Northeast Army’s intelligence organization originated with the Intelligence Division of the Presidential Palace under the Beiyang Government. Although that old marshal never became president, he removed the Intelligence Division from the Presidential Palace and placed it under the Marshal’s Headquarters, consolidating the Northeast Army’s existing intelligence organizations and establishing the Marshal’s Headquarters Intelligence Division. It was responsible for intelligence operations throughout Northeast Asia.”

“Then it wasn’t much use, was it? If it had been any good, that old marshal wouldn’t have been assassinated.” Disdain showed on Li Yunlong’s face. Even the Eighth Route Army’s intelligence organization would never have performed so poorly. How many assassination attempts had they foiled over the years? Of the ones he knew about, there had been more than a dozen.

“Something happened during that period. The head of the Northeast Army’s intelligence service—Wang Yue’s father—was assassinated. As a result, many of the intelligence networks under his direct control fell apart. The intelligence operations of both the Northeast Army and the Beiyang Government suffered a devastating blow. The damage was especially severe to their work against Japan. The intelligence network painstakingly developed by the Beiyang Government, and even by the former dynasty, over several decades suffered losses that are impossible to estimate.” The Brigade Commander sighed. “When it comes to intelligence within the country, our Eighth Route Army has no problem. But sending agents into Japan is beyond our capabilities. Even if we managed to send them there, they could not accomplish much. Many things require years of cultivation.”

“What does the former dynasty have to do with this?” Li Yunlong was even more bewildered.

“The former dynasty’s Imperial Secret Service began preparing for war against Japan as early as 1888. After the Boxer Uprising, it began sending intelligence agents to North America and Europe as well. The Beiyang Government later took over all of that. In the field of intelligence, the Imperial Secret Service was far ahead of many other organizations.” This was actually the first time the Brigade Commander had learned of these matters, but he had never doubted intelligence passed on by the Social Affairs Department.

“Then how did they manage to fight a war like that?” Li Yunlong had no idea what this so-called Imperial Secret Service was. There were not yet many films or television dramas, and channels of information were scarce. It was perfectly normal that he had never heard of it.

“That is another story. People say the Hundred Days’ Reform marked the beginning of the split between the imperial reform faction and the conservative faction. In truth, their rift had begun as early as the First Sino-Japanese War. Without the imperial reform faction holding them back, the outcome would have been difficult to predict. That governor of Shandong and that minister of revenue—what were their names? They were worse than traitors. But never mind all that. In short, the Northeast Army once possessed the oldest and most powerful intelligence network in the history of Asia, and there is a very good chance that this network is now in Wang Yue’s hands. Do you understand?”

The Brigade Commander fixed Li Yunlong with an unusually solemn gaze.

“Why didn’t they rescue the man who was under house arrest? That still doesn’t make sense.” Li Yunlong had not been persuaded by a few words from the Brigade Commander.

“We had our doubts about that as well. Perhaps they were afraid of breaking completely with the other side. Or perhaps Wang Yue was unwilling to forgive that man. We need to find out. The Social Affairs Department does not expect to take over the Intelligence Division, but cooperation with them is certainly possible.” The Brigade Commander placed slightly greater emphasis on his words.

“Shouldn’t the Social Affairs Department be handling this?” Li Yunlong asked, puzzled. He was a rough soldier who could barely recognize all the written characters. Asking him to deal with something like this hardly seemed professional.

“We have sent quite a few people to the Provisional 2nd Division, but every one of them was politely escorted out. Not even a single one of our men has made it into the rank and file. That is one of the reasons the Social Affairs Department believes Wang Yue controls the Intelligence Division. Their counterespionage capabilities are even stronger than those of the Military Affairs Commission. It simply makes no sense. The Southern Bureau sent a large number of highly capable personnel to Jiangcheng, after all.” The Brigade Commander smiled bitterly. He could be considered a professional in intelligence work, yet he had never found himself in such a helpless position.

“Are they really that good? Sounds almost supernatural.” Li Yunlong clicked his tongue. The Provisional 2nd Division truly seemed far from ordinary.

“It isn’t just us. The Central Bureau, the Military Statistics Bureau, the Special Higher Police, and the Manchurian Railway Investigation Bureau—none of them has managed to infiltrate the Provisional 2nd Division.”

“My goodness, that really is impressive. But, Brigade Commander, let’s be clear: I can’t guarantee I’ll get this done.” Li Yunlong smacked his lips, speaking with some embarrassment. He genuinely had no confidence in the matter.

“Just let things take their course. First and foremost, you must establish a good relationship with them. Be sure to exercise restraint. You cannot keep taking advantage of them.” The Brigade Commander offered the warning uneasily. From the higher command’s perspective, Li Yunlong had indeed been taking advantage of Wang Yue all along.

Taking advantage of someone could not be done again and again. Too much of it would inevitably damage the relationship, and once that goodwill was gone, cooperation would be impossible. The other side might even retaliate.

“Don’t worry. I absolutely won’t let them suffer a loss. I did take quite a bit this time, but I’ve already made inquiries. There’s a coal mine near Yangquan holding more than five hundred Northeast Army prisoners. I’ll seize that mine in the next few days and send the prisoners over. Consider it repayment for the favor.” Li Yunlong hurried to make his position clear. He had indeed taken a substantial advantage this time, but four or five hundred prisoners should more or less make up for it. As for the matter of “recruiting” people from Yangquan Railway Station, that operation had not yet begun.

“As long as you know what you’re doing. And don’t worry—I won’t let you suffer either. Headquarters has taken your current circumstances into account and is granting you permission to deploy battalion-sized units for offensive operations. In an emergency, you may mobilize the entire regiment, but you must notify brigade headquarters immediately. Your area of operations, however, is limited to Heyuan, Ping’an, and Yangquan Counties.” The Brigade Commander smiled, deciding to give the man a little incentive.

“Brigade Commander, you really do have a soft spot for Little Li! Don’t worry—I’ll do a good job!” Li Yunlong could no longer conceal the grin spreading across his face.

“Your first priority this time is to complete the transaction. Second, you must build a good relationship with them and lay the groundwork for deeper cooperation in the future. Finally, make the New 1st Regiment’s mission absolutely clear: protect and monitor Qifeng County, and prevent anyone from using it to threaten our base area.” The Brigade Commander emphasized the point once more.

“Rest assured, Brigade Commander. Little Li will get it done. Just wait for your artillery regiment!” Li Yunlong patted his chest repeatedly as he gave his guarantee.

“Compared with artillery, what we lack most is still rifles. Many of the main-force regiments have barely a hundred rifles, and some of those may not even fire. They urgently need reinforcements.” The Brigade Commander shook his head. Artillery was valuable, but it was not their most pressing need.

“I understand, I understand. I’ll exchange for as many rifles as I can. It’s just that the Provisional 2nd Division’s weapons aren’t cheap.” Li Yunlong offered the reminder with an expression of deep concern, while privately wondering how he could secure the greatest benefit for himself.

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