Wen Liang had no choice but to play dumb and said, "Although I don't know the original purpose of the higher-ups, at least it has played a deterrent role. It's probably impossible for the other side to seek independence, and the United States will not support it. In fact, it's still a relatively satisfactory outcome..."
Ning Xi chuckled and said, "It's perfect, of course it's perfect!"
From a big picture perspective, it is necessary to respond strongly to the rampant provocations from the other side. Warfare leads to destruction, forgetfulness leads to danger, and only by not fearing war can war be avoided. But beyond the big picture, we must look through the fog to find the essence hidden beneath the surface.
It does not see the smoke of gunpowder, but it is more treacherous and bloody than the real battlefield of gunpowder! Simply put, it started with the tension in the Taiwan Strait, suppressed the opposition within the party, passed the proposal of large-scale military exercises, and then mobilized troops in many places that did not need to be mobilized through several large-scale exercises, thus tearing a hole in the iron plate and impenetrable military, and inserting many nails that do not belong to the Ning faction. Although it is a drop in the bucket and not a concern, it at least has a foothold and entry point, providing unlimited possibilities for slow infiltration in the future. The military expenditure has skyrocketed from the initial 500 million to 4 billion, and it is unknown how many people have been embezzled, how many people have been loyal, and how many fence-sitters have been wavering, from confrontation to neutrality, and began to cautiously wait and see the situation!
This series of extremely sharp and suffocating attacks not only forced Taiwan and the United States to join forces to respond, which also undermined the courage and confidence of the Taiwan independence forces, but also forced the huge Ning faction to have a strong sense of crisis, and to deeply reflect on and adjust its own position and attitude. It has been many years, and this is the first time they have encountered such a dilemma!
However, there was no need to tell Wen Liang these things explicitly. This was not a world he could access at this moment, nor was it a world he could set foot in at this moment. But what Ning Xi didn't know was that Wen Liang actually knew much more than he showed!
Wen Liang hesitated for a moment, but finally swallowed the names of the two major generals. A mere "Taibai case" might ease the other party's aggressiveness, and even allow them to follow the clues, expand the scope and arrest more people to make them feel painful. But in the long run, it would have no impact on the overall court situation. Besides, he really couldn't find a suitable reason to explain all that he knew!
Thinking back to the first time I met Xu Ting last year, he was carrying out military duties in various coastal areas to catch spies, and was later shot and wounded. At that time, Wen Liang never thought that one day he would be in such close contact with the truth that was out of reach of outsiders, and listen to the most secretive and exciting high-level politics of the Republic.
"From what you said, the old man is going to retire..." Wen Liang put aside the various thoughts in his mind and followed Ning Xi's question. When she said "Grandpa is old", wasn't this what she meant
"Grandpa should still be considering it. After all, whether to retreat or not is not just his business, nor is it a matter for the Ning family, nor is it a matter for a certain lineage or faction. It's complicated and involves too many things!" Ning Xi lowered her head, her face becoming unnaturally pale because of the cold. Her voice seemed to come from the depths of an empty valley, and it sounded hazy and distant in her ears.
"But I know him too well. In the year before and after this exercise, there were many negotiations, and all parties were involved, in order to break the Ning faction's monopoly in the military. The Ning faction was strong and had many followers, so it was not a small bargaining chip, but in the end it still lost the initiative and suffered a loss. Grandpa is a little discouraged because of this. I'm afraid that at the 15th National Congress next year, he will take the initiative to ask to step down!"
Wen Liang's mind was already stretched tight as a line, his thoughts racing. Combining what he had seen and heard in his two lives, he seemed to have grasped something vaguely: Grandpa Ning might not be disheartened. As a big man who had stepped up to the pinnacle of life from that era, his mind was so firm and unshakable that he would never talk about advancing or retreating just because of a minor setback that did not hurt him at all. It was more likely that he realized after this defeat that the rise of the other party was inevitable, and that it was a foregone conclusion that one would gain while the other would lose, and that you advance and I would retreat. Instead of waiting until the 15th National Congress to reshuffle the cards, it would be better to withdraw as soon as possible, and to negotiate a good price, thus creating opportunities and time for a comeback in the future.
As I said, politics has never been about gains and losses at a particular time or place. The one who laughs last is the real winner!
For Wen Liang, it was not difficult to figure this out, but the problem was that what Ning Xi talked about with him at the beginning was not the Ning family, but the blind date Yang Zong!
Why did it extend from a small Yang Zong to the future of the Ning family
Ning Xi was never a little girl with jumping thoughts, no theme, and speaking casually. She raised her head and stared at Wen Liang, looking at him as if he was so close yet so far away, quietly and silently!
Even though Wen Liang was now unfathomable, he still had to use a lot of effort to stop his knuckles from trembling so violently. He seemed to be comforting Ning Xi, and also seemed to be comforting himself, saying, "Don't worry, even if the old man retires, your father and your uncles are all in high positions in the army. For the entire Ning family, whether the old man is in office or not won't cause much fluctuation. Besides, sometimes taking a step back can open up a new world. As long as the person is still alive and the power is there, it doesn't matter whether he has a title or not!"
He paused, as if wanting to liven up the atmosphere, and said with a smile: "Do you remember what you said to me at the beginning? If the Republic is likened to a scale, the Ning family and the group it represents are the fulcrum in the middle of the scale. Who goes up and who goes down is just adding and subtracting chips at both ends of the scale. But if there is no fulcrum, there will be no Republic!" (See Volume 4, Chapter 43, The Universe in the Sleeve for details)
Ning Xi's eyes were filled with tenderness, and she was obviously thinking of the past events with Wen Liang. It had only been half a year, but now thinking about it, it seemed like many, many years!
She whispered, "Yes, I never worry about these things. Just like you said, when Grandpa retires, my uncle and the others should worry about what happens to the Ning family. There has never been a prosperous family for thousands of years. Even if it breaks up, it won't be a pity. However..."
Wen Liang's heart skipped a beat and he asked, "But what?"
"My last name is Ning!"
A flash of sadness passed across her beautiful face, and she said, "Wen Liang, my last name is Ning. I enjoy the glory of the Ning family, and I also bear the honor of the Ning family. I thought I could be independent and not be bound by the family, but when the time came, I realized that no one forced you to do anything. Instead, at a certain point in time, someone had to appear in that position. We are born for the family, and naturally we can die for the family!"
Wen Liang certainly understood what she meant. He tightened his grip and said in silence for a moment, "Does it have to be like this? Just for a trivial failure?"
The impact of this incident on the entire Ning family is indeed not that big, but it sounded a wake-up call for Grandpa Ning. If you don't plan for the future, you will have immediate worries. For any large family, the process of rise may require countless tests, but the source of collapse is often a small gap that is not taken seriously.
With Mr. Ning's retreat, the Ning family will have to lie dormant for a while, maybe one year, two years, five years, or ten years. This requires a strong guarantee to prevent his subordinates from becoming alienated, to prevent his allies from becoming disloyal, and to prevent those who are shooting arrows from behind, trying to fish in troubled waters, and trying to replace him from attacking him in droves. Throughout history, when playing the trick of retreating to advance, the first thing to grasp is the degree, that is, to make people feel that you have retreated, but also to make people feel that you are still not easy to mess with after retreating, so that you can attack when you advance and defend when you retreat, and use time to exchange space and wait for the opportunity to act!
And the Lei family is the best choice for the Ning family!
Over the years, the Lei and Ning factions have cooperated many times and also confronted each other many times, but there is no fundamental conflict of interest between the two, so when help is needed, each other is the best and only choice!
Therefore, marriage, an ancient method that is acceptable to everyone, was quietly put on the agenda before Ning Xi returned home!
Ning Xi shook her head and said, "The marriage with the Lei family is not aimed at this exercise, but the crisis exposed by this exercise. That is what really frightens people."
Wen Liang finally heard the word "marriage" from her mouth, and he began to feel unusually irritated. He asked, "There are so many girls in the Ning family, why did they choose you?"
"What else can better demonstrate our sincerity than Ning Xi, the most famous person in the Ning family?"
Wen Liang couldn't say anything to refute, and said: "What about Yang Zong? His last name is not Lei, and his status in the Lei family is not even in the top 50..."
"Because Yang Zong is the most suitable person for me in the eyes of the elders!" Ning Xi's smile had never been so heartbreaking as it was today, and she said, "You have to know that although the family chose me, they also hope that I can live a happier life!"
"Happiness?" Wen Liang stood up and suddenly kicked the railing hard, saying, "For a so-called crisis that may or may not happen, whether you like it or not, the Ning family is going to ruin your lifelong happiness
Ning Xi's lips curled up with a hint of self-mockery, and she said, "My happiness has never been in my hands!"
Wenliang, before I met you, I never had any illusions about love.
After meeting you, I realized that love is far sweeter than fantasy!
I thought that if I gave you enough time, and with your intelligence and ambition, I could happily wait for the opportunity and right to be with you for the rest of your life!
But I finally understand that for us who have no control over our destiny, staying together for a lifetime is too far away and too unreal!
But what you said is wrong. My happiness has not been ruined because of this.
because,
Falling in love with you is the greatest happiness in my life! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)