In 1928, Zhang Zuolin took a train from Beijing back to the northeast. While passing through the Sandong Bridge at the intersection of the Beijing-Bong and South Manchuria Railways, the train was destroyed by the Japanese Kwantung Army's buried explosives, and Zhang Zuolin was seriously injured. This incident is the famous Huanggutun Incident, and Zhang Zuolin was also killed in this incident, of course, Zhang Zuolin died when he was pulled back to Shenyang. However, before he died, he confessed one thing, that is, he was not allowed to enter the northeast alone, saying that Zhang Xueliang was not his opponent after this person entered the northeast. This person is Zhang Zongchang.
Like Zhang Zuolin, Zhang Zongchang was a famous warlord at the time, but his identity was relatively complicated. Zhang Zongchang is not a concubine of the Beiyang lineage, and like Zhang Zuolin, he is also from a grassy background. After the Wuchang Uprising, he defected to Feng Guozhang. In 1920, he defected to Zhang Zuolin. After Zhang Zuolin's several direct wars, Zhang Zongchang's troops can be said to have gained a lot of benefits. During the Northern Expedition, Zhang Zongchang led his troops to support Wu Peifu. In Shanghai, Zhang Zongchang's Zhilu coalition army massacred workers and students and suppressed an armed uprising of Shanghai workers. After that, Zhang Zongchang's troops can be said to have been defeated at the front line, but the blame was shirked by Zhang Zongchang. In 1927, he lost successive battles with Feng Yuxiang on the front line, and because he was reprimanded by Zhang Zuolin, he abducted a commander of Feng Yuxiang's troops and killed him. At that time, everyone was against killing this person. It can be seen that this person is not only fickle, but also more cruel.
When the Huanggutun Incident occurred, Zhang Zongchang was deeply saddened, and there were still 50,000 people under his command who did not know where to go. At that time, he was still outside the guan, and Zhang Zuolin was worried that once this person entered the guan, Zhang Xueliang's foundation would be unstable and he would not be able to control him. Therefore, he instructed his subordinates to tell Zhang Xueliang not to let this person enter the northeast. As a result, Zhang Xueliang still let Zhang Zongchang enter the northeast. What Zhang Zuolin did not expect was that Zhang Xueliang firmly controlled his men and horses after Zhang Zongchang entered the northeast, and did not let him enter the customs, and Zhang Zongchang was completely hollowed out. However, what Zhang Zuolin did not expect was that Zhang Xueliang could control Zhang Zongchang, but within three and a half years, he lost the northeast to the Japanese. Zhang Xueliang guarded against the family thief, but did not block the thief.
If Zhang Xueliang could rule the northeast like Zhang Zuolin and grasp the power of the Soviet Union and Japan in the northeast, the northeast might not be lost so quickly. It is estimated that Zhang Zuolin did not think of this when he died, otherwise he would not have worried so much about Zhang Zongchang.