Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 1131 Infighting
There was another cannon shot outside, Johnson shook his body, and the piece of pastry fell to the ground.

"Your Excellency, this battle can no longer be fought," Andrew Mellon kept wiping the sweat off his head. He was almost suffocated by the stuffy air in the unventilated basement. He really didn't understand why the President stayed here: "Atlanta lost Well, Philadelphia is lost, St. Louis is lost, how long can a New York last? Now try to find a way to negotiate with the Chinese, this is the only way to keep the United States!"

His words penetrated into the president's heart. All he had been thinking about these two days was negotiation, but the president's dignity and face made him unable to speak out. This was also the reason why he recruited his cronies.

Seeing that the president did not express his opinion, Mellon said anxiously: "The Chinese army will enter the city hall in a blink of an eye. Your Excellency, there is no need to hesitate any longer. For your own safety and for the future of the entire United States, please make up your mind to negotiate Bar!"

Johnson said hesitantly: "The Chinese have the absolute upper hand. Most of New York is already under their control. We only think of negotiating now. Will they agree to our request for negotiating?"

"Yes, I will!" Mellon leaned forward and said, "According to my observation, the reason why the Chinese didn't bomb the city hall today is not because they dare not or do not have the ability. They also seem to have the intention of negotiating. It's just that I can't get in touch with you, those stupid soldiers outside, they only know how to fight, they don't care about your safety at all."

He talked about the soldiers, and Johnson said worriedly: "For the sake of the country, I also want to negotiate, but Vance and Clark will definitely not agree. They seem to be very confident in holding here."

Mellon's eyes flickered with murderous intent: "Soldiers, the United States of America is destroyed by these soldiers. They don't think about anything other than fighting. They stubbornly want to preserve the dignity of soldiers. Have you really thought about it? Your Excellency, you can call all the generals of the main battle here in the name of discussing political affairs, and then apportion them. If they dare to disobey the order, let the FBI detain them all. I am willing to bear the burden. Take up the important task of peace talks, and promise to live up to your high expectations!"

Johnson stood up and walked around, lamenting from time to time. After 10 minutes, Johnson turned to Mellon and said with difficulty: "Call FBI Director Hoover."

At the age of 37, Hoover, who was deeply trusted by the president, was shocked when he received the president's decision.He couldn't be sure whether what the other party said was true or false. At a time when the United States was in the most crisis and needed unity the most, it was necessary to arrest these loyal generals who sacrificed themselves for the United States.They are the pillars of the United States, the hope of the United States, and what the president wants to do.

Johnson looked at his confidant with cold eyes that he had never seen before: "The United States has reached the moment of life and death. As the person I trust the most, will you not obey my orders at this moment?"

Hoover heard the president say such words, and knew that nothing could be undone, and he could not tarnish his sacred duty. "Yes, sir, I will obey all your decisions!" Hoover said in a low voice.

Vance and Clark, who were busy commanding the defensive battle, suddenly got the news that the president fell ill from the shock of the unbearable gunfire, which made them pale with fright. Anyone can fall down, but as the symbol of the American spirit But the president cannot fall. Once he falls, the whole of New York will be completely out of control, and the determination of the military and civilians to resist to the end will be completely disintegrated.

The two of Vance had no doubts about the fact that the president fell ill due to fright. They rushed to the basement where the president was staying with a few generals.The basement was dark and stuffy, and the ice cubes placed in the basins on the ground could not dispel the unpleasant air at all. On the contrary, the water in two basins overflowed because they were too full, making the ground very wet and uncomfortable.

Johnson was lying on the bed, his face was pale and expressionless, and he was panting continuously as he lay there. The strange thing was that those assistants and secretaries didn't know where they went, and only Mellon, the Minister of Finance, was beside him.

"Your Excellency, what's the matter with you, you must take care of your health!" He is quite obedient to President Vance, although he looks down on this president: "We will definitely do our best to protect your safety."

Clark frowned and said angrily: "Where are all those damned secretaries gone? Don't they just watch the president like this? Damn them all!"

Johnson coughed a few times and said very weakly: "General Clark, don't blame them. I told them to leave. The air here is really bad. I was a little frightened. It's nothing serious. Please Sit down, you have worked hard."

Slightly loosening the tightly fastened military discipline buckles to make him feel more comfortable, Vance and the others sat down.

"How's the battle outside?" Johnson managed to get up from the bed with Mellon's help, and asked after drinking a sip of water.

Clark seemed to be cheering up the president: "Your Excellency, don't worry, under the command of General Vance, the heroic American army has defeated a sneak attack by the Dragon Army. With the strong defense of the city hall, the loyal soldiers, the final victory It must belong to us!"

Mellon behind Johnson said with a sneer: "General Clark's morale is really high and admirable, but I want to ask how long this city hall can be guarded. Our millions of troops have been defeated and the entire navy has been wiped out. New York The defense of the city was defeated by the Chinese army after only holding on for a few days. Do you really think that you can hold on with the tens of thousands of troops inside and outside the city hall? Please don’t forget that the Chinese cannons are only warning us today. Perhaps without waiting for daybreak, those terrible cannons can blast this place into a scorched earth, and how can you guarantee the safety of the president?"

Clark was so angry that his face turned blue, and he wanted to explode, but seeing the president's expression seemed to agree with Mellon's words, he forcibly held back his anger.

"Minister of the Exchequer, please pay attention to your words!" Vance said with a cold face: "You are shaking the President's determination to resist to the end. You are an insult to the bloody American soldiers! I hope you are unintentional Otherwise, I will ask the president to imprison you and punish you with the crime of shaking the morale of the army!"

After all, Vance was a powerful figure in the military, and his words carried weight. Mellon didn't dare to talk back to him, but just looked at him bitterly.

Gates, the most powerful Secretary of Defense in this group, made it clear that he was on Vance's side. He sat there with a straight waist and said: "From now on, in this extraordinary period, there will be no one like Mr. Mellon." words, I will use my gun to shut him up!"

Under the majestic eyes of the officers, Mellon shrank behind Johnson.

Johnson said as if he was helping him: "Everyone, don't get angry. Mr. Mellon is also thinking about the safety of all of us. I want to ask you one last time, can you negotiate with the Chinese side, pay compensation or cede land, as long as they return their troops. I don't want the American people to die again."

"No!" Several generals of the main combat faction shouted in unison, and the determination in their words made Johnson tremble.

"Your Excellency, there is absolutely no room for peace talks now!" Vance said very resolutely: "The purpose of the Chinese is to occupy the entire United States. Let alone whether the terms of land cession and compensation can satisfy the Chinese, even if they agree now, There will be a second or third time in the future, and the United States will never have peace! If we do this, we will also feel sorry for the soldiers and civilians who died defending the United States. The morale of the people and the army will definitely be hit, and the United States will fall from now on!"

"Forget it, I'll make it easier for you, and you sit here for a while." Johnson sighed, stood up tremblingly, and walked to the back room.

Several generals also let out a sigh. How can the dignified American president be so hopeless? There is no trace of former presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy on him, and he can't see it in peacetime. up.

The Secretary of Defense even wondered whether it was time to consider replacing this waste in a new round of presidential elections when the war was over.

When the president turned to the back room, a ferocious expression suddenly appeared on Mellon's face.He clapped his palms, and immediately a large number of FBI agents with live ammunition swarmed into the room, and their black guns were aimed at more than a dozen generals.

"What do you want to do, rebel?" The Minister of Defense shouted angrily, before he was about to draw out his pistol, but was immediately blocked by several guns. "Your Excellency, you'd better cooperate and don't make things difficult for us."

There was disbelief in the eyes of Vance and Clark.They seemed to understand something, but they still couldn't believe their feelings. Could it be that the always modest President Johnson finally showed his true colors, and wanted to wipe out these loyal and brave generals for his own life?
At this time, Mellon had no expression of fear, and said triumphantly: "According to the President's Warrant No. 1, you people encouraged the President and military and political officials to launch a war, resulting in the innocent sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers. Special Secretary of the Treasury Mellon , FBI Director Hoover detains you all, waiting for the court-martial ruling!"

"Hoover, how dare you do such a thing!" The Secretary of Defense was not held by a gun, and he was afraid that he would rush to Hoover and slap a dozen times in the face.Because the two had a good personal relationship, and Hoover had been promoted and taken care of by the Secretary of Defense, he felt betrayed by his friends at this time.

Hoover did not dare to look directly into the other party's eyes, and lowered his head. Between national interests and friendship, he chose the former.

"The President, please come out to meet us and tell us it's true!" Vance was the first to calm down among the generals. He tried to restrain his emotions and said, "As long as the President tells us that this is his idea, Then we have nothing to say."

(End of this chapter)