In the previous months’ confusion, Zhang had not been privy to the secret talks that had already laid the ground for an alliance between the Nationalists and Communists, and far from being hailed as a new leader for the nation, his actions were viewed as treachery by the Nationalist government and the wider public. Negotiations continued for two weeks, with both Chinese and foreign observers completely at a loss to know whether the country’s leader would be released or killed.
