Free Web NovelIn truth, my memories of Zeng Qinghong were vague.
He was the kind of person who coordinated the struggles between factions within the Communist Party from behind the scenes rather than stepping forward himself.
Though he was called Jiang Zemin’s strategist, he belonged to the princeling faction, composed of the children of Communist Party elders.
He held power thanks to Jiang Zemin’s trust, but Jiang Zemin’s successors did not like him very much.
Didn’t he fall from the next leadership because of the Shanghai faction’s restraint?
While I organized my thoughts as I waited for Zeng Qinghong to speak, he seemed to be pondering deeply.
Soon he asked in a quiet voice,
“Are you planning to join hands with President Hu Jintao?”
“I’m not sure. It depends on how President Hu Jintao comes out.”
I didn’t trust Hu Jintao.
I simply needed Hu Jintao to deal with Jiang Zemin.
Seeing my reaction, Zeng Qinghong shook his head.
“That’s not a good option. Even if President Hu Jintao returns, it will be difficult for him to directly attack Chairman Jiang as long as the elders support him from behind.”
Even in my previous life, Jiang Zemin had survived until the end and continued to wield influence.
“So? If not President Hu Jintao, who can deal with Jiang Zemin?”
“What about me? I think I could be a good partner.”
I involuntarily widened my eyes at Zeng Qinghong’s proposal.
He wanted to join hands with me.
That’s something I didn’t expect.
When I said nothing and simply stared at him, Zeng Qinghong continued.
“I know very well the power you possess, President Kim Muhyuk. You understand the nature of power better than anyone, and you obtain what you want through the connections and wealth you hold. Others may try to belittle you, but I am not one of them.”
He met my eyes and spoke seriously.
“You asked me to tell you my real purpose. This is it.”
Even if he stayed as he was, Zeng Qinghong could have continued acting as a behind-the-scenes coordinator.
I couldn’t immediately open my mouth because I couldn’t understand why he wanted to join hands with me.
As if he had read my thoughts, he gave a faint smile.
“I understand what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why I would make such a proposal. The reason I want to join hands with you, President Kim Muhyuk, is for the future. I want the next leader after Hu Jintao to come from our princeling faction.”
In my previous life as well, Zeng Qinghong faithfully fulfilled his role as a kingmaker.
He could not become the king, but he was someone who could create a king.
I swallowed that thought and asked,
“It doesn’t seem like you intend to do it yourself.”
“By the time President Hu Jintao’s term ends, I will also be at the age where I should retire.”
Because of age regulations he would have to step down, but it was clear he had no intention of relinquishing power.
“So you intend to remain a power behind the scenes like Deng Xiaoping? That won’t be easy.”
The reason Deng Xiaoping had remained the supreme leader until the end was because he held onto the position of Chairman of the Central Military Commission and never let it go.
Jiang Zemin had also tried to cling to the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission even while handing over the positions of General Secretary and President to Hu Jintao.
But for Zeng Qinghong to grasp the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission was nearly impossible.
“You know what kind of work I do. I simply wish to remain behind the curtain rather than stepping forward.”
No matter how clever someone was or how skilled they were at walking the tightrope, becoming a power behind the scenes was not something as easy as it sounded.
However, that was Zeng Qinghong’s problem.
What mattered to me was what I would gain.
“I understand your thoughts, Vice Chairman.”
I lifted the teacup before me and curved my lips upward.
“But that doesn’t give me a reason to join hands with you.”
“I will help drive Jiang Zemin out. And I will assist you in everything you do, President Kim Muhyuk.”
The fragrant scent of green tea brushed past my nose.
I deliberately drank slowly before setting the cup down.
It was an offer that sounded incredibly sweet.
“It’s an attractive proposal. Which is exactly why it feels suspicious.”
“I understand that you cannot trust me.”
“You understand? No matter how I think about it, this is too advantageous for me. Vice Chairman, you can maintain your power even if you stay exactly as you are. Yet you would betray your boss and take my hand? It makes me think this might be Jiang Zemin’s trap.”
“I have never thought of him as my boss. I only wished to use Chairman Jiang’s power to grow the princeling faction.”
So he had slowly built his strength for the sake of the faction and waited for the right moment.
But that alone did not fully explain why he was moving now.
When I continued to look at him with suspicion, Zeng Qinghong quietly sighed and spoke.
“...It was I, Zeng Qinghong, who moved the elders to demand that the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission be handed over to Hu Jintao.”
That was the first time I had heard that.
Zeng Qinghong had taken Jiang Zemin’s power and given it to Hu Jintao?
“Why would you go that far—”
I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth.
Something had suddenly flashed through my mind.
“You wanted the position of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission.”
“......”
If something happened to Hu Jintao, the authority would pass to the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
“Now I understand why you tried to assassinate Hu Jintao.”
When Jiang Zemin handed the chairmanship of the Central Military Commission to Hu Jintao, everyone expected that Zeng Qinghong would become the vice chairman.
But the position had gone to Xu Caihou. freēwēbnovel.com
He was a core military ally whom Jiang Zemin favored deeply.
For Zeng Qinghong, it must have felt like a betrayal.
“I opposed Hu Jintao’s assassination.”
“That’s probably because you didn’t secure the vice chairman position. If you had taken that seat as well, perhaps you would have thought differently.”
“I won’t deny that. But the water has already been spilled. If things continue like this, I might be swept away by the brutal purge that Hu Jintao is preparing.”
The failed assassination had twisted everything.
In effect, it had handed Hu Jintao the perfect justification.
It made sense that Zeng Qinghong was moving like this.
“Originally it had been agreed that the next leader after Hu Jintao would come from the Shanghai faction. That agreement was made before power was handed to President Hu Jintao.”
“I’ve heard that as well.”
The princeling faction had been excluded from the power structure.
Originally, the power of the princelings came from their parents’ generation.
As time passed and that generation gradually died off, their power base had begun weakening.
Thus it was widely known that, excluding the princelings, the Shanghai faction and the Communist Youth League faction had agreed to alternate the position of supreme leader.
“To suppress President Hu Jintao’s anger this time, I advised Chairman Jiang to give up the next leadership position. But he refused. That was the decisive reason I abandoned the path with him.”
That was advice Jiang Zemin could never accept.
The moment he declared that, he would lose not only the future after Hu Jintao but also the power he currently held.
“So I intend to join hands with you, President Kim Muhyuk, and make the person I support the next successor. That successor must come from the princeling faction.”
“And you will be the one who chooses that person.”
“That is all I want.”
“If Jiang Zemin had accepted your demand, there would be no reason for us to have this conversation.”
“Yes. That’s correct. If that had happened, I would have mobilized every ounce of my power for Chairman Jiang.”
To gain my trust, Zeng Qinghong spoke only the truth.
That he would join hands with anyone if it helped him achieve what he wanted.
Combining the information I knew with my knowledge of the future, it was easy to guess that he was not lying.
“You wouldn’t have come empty-handed. What did you bring as proof of trust?”
“You expected that.”
He smiled bitterly and took out a small notebook from inside his jacket.
Tearing a sheet from it, he handed it to me.
“That is the proof of trust I offer you.”
When I accepted the paper and looked at it, a question arose.
“What is this list?”
The names written on the paper did not look Chinese.
“These are people Jiang Zemin planted in preparation for a sudden change.”
That was right.
The paper contained the names of North Korean politicians and military officers.
“And now he plans to move them to overturn the regime.”
Just as I had expected.
At that moment Zeng Qinghong added one more sentence.
“I advised ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) him to do it.”
I lifted my gaze from the paper and looked at him.
Zeng Qinghong twisted the corner of his mouth upward.
Behind his glasses, his eyes carried a strange heat.
“Even if you didn’t know about it, the chances of a successful coup would be slim. But if you know in advance, it won’t just be slim—it will fail.”
As Zeng Qinghong said, even if I hadn’t known about it, there was no way it would succeed.
I had already persuaded Jang Songthaek to increase surveillance.
But instead of revealing that, I waited for Zeng Qinghong to continue.
“That will become Jiang Zemin’s Achilles’ heel.”
If this fact became known, Jiang Zemin would have no choice but to retreat.
Zeng Qinghong had personally moved and placed Jiang Zemin’s weakness directly into my hands.
“What do you think, President Kim Muhyuk? Of my proof of trust?”
I folded the paper and slipped it into my pocket as I smiled.
“I like it. Now let’s have a proper, honest conversation.”
He had said he understood me well, unlike others.
It seemed that wasn’t a lie.
Instead of trying to gain my trust with vague words, he had presented clear proof.
I decided to make Zeng Qinghong my partner.
* * *
Hu Jintao returned to Beijing.
“I’m glad you’re safe. What on earth happened?”
Wen Jiabao, who had been practically under detention, came to see Hu Jintao.
“Another warship suddenly attacked the destroyer I was on. Fortunately...”
Hu Jintao explained the details of the assassination attempt in a heavy voice.
Wen Jiabao’s face hardened as he listened.
“That happened to you? I had no idea. I received no such report.”
“Jiang Zemin must have pulled some strings. That madman. That’s probably why he detained the Prime Minister as well. I wanted to contact you, but if I had, everything I planned might have been exposed...”
Hu Jintao trailed off and took one of Wen Jiabao’s hands.
“I’m sorry. You suffered because of me.”
“It’s nothing. What do you plan to do now?”
Wen Jiabao gently covered Hu Jintao’s hand with his other hand.
“Now it’s time to counterattack. The justification is on my side, so there’s no reason for me to stay quiet any longer.”
“Are you planning to strike Chairman Jiang directly?”
Hu Jintao nodded and released his hand.
“Kim Muhyuk’s actions have made it easier for me to move.”
Wen Jiabao looked surprised.
“What? Have you been in contact with him?”
“No, I haven’t contacted him directly. But if what I want and what he wants are the same, I assumed he would move like this. I didn’t expect Russia to respond that way, though.”
“It helped that you handed over the credit for the gas pipeline construction to Chairman Jiang back then.”
“I hated that Kim Muhyuk fellow at the time, but now I’m grateful.”
Hu Jintao joked, and Wen Jiabao smiled faintly.
“By the way, I heard the Vice Chairman has gone to North Korea?”
“Yes. He says it’s to resolve the current crisis. But I think he’s trying to reconcile President Kim Muhyuk and Chairman Jiang.”
“That must be it. The Vice Chairman is the kind of man who would do anything for Jiang Zemin.”
“President Kim Muhyuk would never accept that. I know that man better than anyone. If you stay within the line, he’s more generous than anyone. But once you cross the line, he shows no mercy. Sometimes he frightens me.”
Hu Jintao nodded at Wen Jiabao’s quiet mutter.
This time he had also truly felt Kim Muhyuk’s nature.
North Korea and Russia had both moved while prepared for diplomatic conflict with China.
When he heard the report about that, he had been shocked.
He didn’t want to admit it, but now he had no choice.
Kim Muhyuk was someone worth helping even at the cost of damaging relations with China itself.
“Can we invite that fellow Kim Muhyuk to Beijing?”
“That will probably be difficult. He won’t be able to trust anyone.”
“Doesn’t he trust the Prime Minister? I heard he formed a sworn brotherhood with you.”
“That’s true. But this time I couldn’t do anything. Because of that, he might have lost faith in me.”
Hu Jintao hummed thoughtfully and rubbed his chin.
“If he does not join hands with me, then I will have no choice but to meet that man as an enemy.”
It was said calmly, but Wen Jiabao felt chills run down his spine.
“If that happens, what will you do?”
“...No matter how good a friend President Kim Muhyuk is, he cannot be equal to you, Chairman.”
Only then did Hu Jintao nod with satisfaction.
“We agreed to meet in Russia, so I will decide then.”
For now, Hu Jintao set Kim Muhyuk aside and began revealing the actions he would take.
“I plan to convene a plenary session.”
“You’re going to call a plenary session? It hasn’t been long since the last one ended.”
The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was required to hold at least one meeting each year.
But until now it had usually been held only once a year.
To break that custom and call another plenary session meant...
“I must fill all key positions with my own people, including the Shanghai Party Secretary. Especially the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission. That position will be replaced without fail.”
A sharp, icy light poured from Hu Jintao’s eyes.
When Wen Jiabao met that gaze directly, he involuntarily shuddered.
