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British Minister Lampson was holding his iconic big pipe in his mouth, listening to Chiang Kai-shek's eloquent speech on the other side, but he kept thinking about the tasks he had to shoulder. Three emergency telegrams were sent out in the country one day, asking him to come and see him.

See this leader of the so-called half of China who has received too much support from the British Kingdom.

"Mr. Lampson, what we just saw together is the most elite division under my command. With the help of your country, I have nine more elite army divisions. A total of ten elite army divisions will fight against

Any promise I make has the strongest guarantee." Chiang Kai-shek had just accompanied Lampson to watch a small-scale military meeting.

Before Lampson came to visit, he urged Gu Weijun to go to the embassy to meet Lampson every day, in order to maximize the interests of the Nanjing regime in the conflict between the Southwest and the British. It is a pity for this cunning British guy

, always claiming that the illness is gone, "If your country can provide strong support, my army is guaranteed to be able to contain at least half of the main forces in the southwest."

Lampson put down his pipe without comment, looked at Chiang Kai-shek steadily, and seemed to ask, "How many British army divisions can one division of your army deal with?" [

Chiang Kai-shek felt a little confused about the British minister's question. He didn't understand why he suddenly asked this question. Could it be that he wanted to compare the gap between the two armies. He always had an unknown fear in his heart towards the British because he didn't understand

, so he was afraid. Seeing Lampson asking a little strangely, he hesitated a little and said, "Two divisions should be comparable to one division of your army."

Lampson immediately shook his head, waved his hand to him, stretched out two fingers, and said in a very regretful tone, "Mr. Jiang, the British Army's Far East Force once learned a lesson in the Sino-Burmese War. The two divisions

The troops were defeated by one division of the Southwest Army, and the troops of four divisions were defeated by Zhang Shusheng.

According to this calculation, in addition to the two main divisions and one garrison division that have been transferred to the China-Myanmar border, there are still eight main divisions and a dozen garrison divisions left in the southwest. How many direct divisions can you control?

Can the army send more than ten or twenty elite divisions that are enough to compete with these southwestern armies?"

Chiang Kai-shek was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but feel annoyed. He was deceived by the British and suffered a small loss. He couldn't help but smile, "Mr. Lampson, sometimes, pure numerical comparison has no practical significance. The Chinese are very particular about fighting.

The time, place, and people are favorable, and my troops are fighting defensively on their own land, and in this regard they are stronger than your Far East Myanmar Army."

"Yeah." Lampson was noncommittal and was about to continue asking something when he saw an aide of Chiang Kai-shek walking in and whispering something beside him.

Chiang Kai-shek's eyes first flashed with a hint of imperceptible astonishment, then a hint of hidden joy, and then his expression changed again, looking melancholy, "Mr. Minister, I regret to inform you of a very unfortunate event."

Good news, my intelligence department has just received news that Zhang Shusheng in the southwest has

At night, two additional main divisions were dispatched to the Longling and Yongde lines on the Chinese side of the Sino-Burmese border. In addition, intelligence personnel also reported that there were a large number of artillery and armored vehicles accompanying them. Even the airports around Kunming were busier than the intelligence in the suburbs.

Crews were able to see aircraft flying south non-stop throughout the day."

There was a "pop", and Lampson's hand that was about to hold the teacup knocked it over instead. When he first heard this information that could definitely be called bad news, his first instinct was to be suspicious, but then he had to accept it.

In reality, since he was the minister, Chiang Kai-shek would not lie to him. Could it be that he was really afraid of something?

As the Chinese minister, he knew very well that it was impossible for Chiang Kai-shek to launch an attack on the southwest at this time. First of all, with the combat strength of the Kuomintang troops, they could barely protect themselves, but the attack was far from insufficient. Moreover, the anti-Japanese war in the north was in full swing, just like that in the southwest.

Just as he had not attacked the Kuomintang, it was impossible for this shrewd Eastern politician to fight a controversial war without victory.

He might just want to 'ask for a reward' from the empire by holding back part of the southwestern army.

Without the intelligence that had just been sent, he might have ridiculed Chairman Chiang, told him the empire's decision, and reluctantly agreed to increase his support for him.

However, now, he could only hurriedly throw out his trump card, "Chairman Chiang, as a China expert, I have recommended you to the country many times, and that was the reason for the subsequent joint support plan of the three countries. Since there is a risk of war on the Myanmar border,

, you should also mobilize your troops immediately, at least do what you said, and hold back part of the southwestern army."

"Mr. Minister, do you mean that the war can be avoided?" Chiang Kai-shek said with a smile. He had never felt so happy. He had even forgotten the huge unhappiness that Zhang Shusheng and the Southwest Group had brought to him before. He could see the British people feeling defeated.

, he was really excited.

"No, no, no, Mr. Jiang, you should understand that as the minister of a country, my mission should be to resolve disputes, not to promote war. I'm sorry, the embassy has some matters to deal with. I would like to increase support to your government.

Regarding the intensity issue, I will compile a detailed report and submit it to the domestic authorities."

Lampson got up and left in a hurry. The first thing he did when he returned to the legation was to send the intelligence he heard from Chiang Kai-shek to the Far East Army Command in Myanmar and the British Foreign Office.

He had a premonition that this time, regardless of whether a larger-scale land war would break out, he would once again become a member of the British negotiating team, because he really was not optimistic about the British army in Myanmar. At this time, if the navy were to be aggressive again

action, then Burma and India will suffer the wrath of nearly 6 divisions of the Chinese. Do the six divisions of more than 100,000 southwestern soldiers really want to set foot on the land of Burma to deal with those imperial troops who can only bully colonial thugs?

*people?

He knew very well that, just like during the Sino-Burmese War, although the British garrison in Burma once reached the super-colonial deployment level of five divisions, as conflicts broke out more intensively in the colonies, the troops were gradually transferred and then restored.

It has reached the conventional preparation level of the previous two divisions. Of course, the weapons and equipment are the same as before, and even the rifles have not been replaced. However, I heard that a frontline airport has been built in the Myanmar area on the China-Myanmar border, and several old aircraft are parked as reconnaissance aircraft.

use.

Burma is too far away, and its strategic value can only be realized when it may be lost. Therefore, just like when the last war broke out, the empire was equally unprepared this time. Because no one knew when the Chinese would

It is impossible for the empire to station a large number of troops there all the time.

As for Southwest, he had sent Counselor Ying Gelan to Kunming. Unfortunately, the result was that Zhang Shusheng was unwell and asked the counselor to wait for some time. When Lampson got this result, he couldn't help but became speechless, because this was different from what he had refused before.

The reason for meeting Chiang Kai-shek's diplomat Gu Weijun was exactly the same.

China-Myanmar border, Ruili area.

Ding Lun is a villager from Lashio, a small place on the border of Myanmar. He often brings wild products or stones from the Myanmar jungle to China. For them, all they need to cross the border is a certificate issued by the Chinese border defense agency.[

As a Burmese who relies on mountain goods and relies on rocks, the trade route from Lashio, Myanmar to Ruili is his lifeline.

Burmese people only have first names but no surnames. When he was a child, when others called him Maung Dinh Lwin, he and his uncles came to China to do business. However, at that time, there were no villages and towns in China and Myanmar.

What's the difference? Apart from the fact that there are more people, they are all wooden houses, dilapidated and old.

However, in these years, he has witnessed the rapid rise of Ruili, a border city in China, and by this time, he was already known as 'Guo Dinglun'. From the child 'Mao Dinglun' back then, he became Guo Dinglun among his peers.

I am now an adult. I could only carry two stones in a small basket back then, but today I can carry a large basket of wild goods or a large basket of jade and wool.

The Chinese first proposed the concept of border, and then an army post appeared here. The Chinese did not change their trading habits arbitrarily, but asked them to go to the border post to obtain temporary passes. This kind of document was only valid for two returns.

It is valid for the same day. Although it is a little troublesome, those who hold this certificate will not encounter any difficulties from those seemingly powerful fraudsters.

Then, he discovered that the Chinese village began to build a school. The little kids who used to run around the village gradually disappeared. They all went to sit in the classroom. It was said that they were studying. I heard that they had lunch every time.

It's free, which makes Ding Lun envious.

I looked back at my youngest son who was following behind me. He was only 6 years old and had already put on a small backpack, carrying mountain goods and running with him while getting stuck.

Later, Chinese villages and towns began to become more prosperous, and more houses were built, and some people even began to build roads. I heard that the Chinese across the street could grow a kind of magical rice in every household, but the Burmese people

Even if you steal a handful from the rice fields and save them for next year's seeds, it will be useless, because the next year, most of these seeds will be barnyard seeds.

He even went to Ruili once, where there were already four or five-story small buildings, which made her feel like she was in a dream.

As southwest China becomes increasingly wealthy, border trade becomes more and more developed. The industrious Burmese people continuously bring local specialties, wood, jade, wool, even furs, gems, etc. from the Burmese side.

constantly sent to China.

In China, they can even buy matches, nails, children's favorite balloons, soap, and even pork candies, etc. in small rural markets on the border. In the border villages and towns on the Myanmar side, everything is available, even in small grocery stores.

All the products on display were purchased from China.

This time he brought some fine jade materials and planned to exchange them for a sum of money. With capital and money to buy goods, he could open a grocery store in his hometown of Lashio. He wanted to compete with those across the street.

Like the traders he had dealt with, they had changed from errand runners to shopkeepers.

When he arrived at China's border checkpoint, Ding Lun stood in the first position again. He took his young son to queue up early before dawn. At seven o'clock in the morning, the soldiers at the border checkpoint raised a Chinese national flag on time.

and military flags, and then several border guards with guns lined up to guard the gate of the checkpoint.

Why wasn't the checkpoint opened today?

Ding Lun was a little confused. At this time in the past, the checkpoints should have been opened, and the Chinese border guards would have started issuing customs clearance certificates.

"Hello, dear sir, what time will the checkpoint be opened today?" Ding Lun has always been as cautious as a servant towards these mighty soldiers, but he has a good impression of these soldiers. They never ask for Myanmar.

People's things, let alone scolding 'foreigners' like myself, as long as you don't violate their rules or trespass, they will even help you pull a backpack for you when you pass the checkpoint.

"Hello, you have just received an order from your superiors. The port from Lashio to China will be closed immediately, and all idlers will not be allowed to enter." The soldier stood at attention with a snap, holding a gun in his left hand, patting the gun with his right hand, and said seriously

A reason not to switch that disappoints Ding Lun.

"Dear Sir, you see it is not easy for a child to run business with you at such a young age. I would like to ask again, when will the switch be turned on again?" The people behind Ding Lun also heard him talking to the middle-aged man.

During the conversation, these Burmese people on the China-Myanmar border all spoke Chinese and even used the southwest RMB. When they heard that the border crossing was closed, everyone frowned, but did not dare to make any noise.

"Sorry, I can tell you military secrets." The soldier replied seriously, then turned around and stood still, no longer paying attention to these Burmese border residents.

The same thing happened at various ports along the China-Myanmar border.

The British began to get unfavorable intelligence from various aspects. For example, Chinese fighter planes were gathering on a large scale towards Ruili Airport, and the main forces of the two divisions set off overnight to the China-Myanmar border, forming a horn with the two divisions of Ruili.

, can launch a full-scale attack on Myanmar at any time.

The 'detailed information' sent back by Chiang Kai-shek's intelligence personnel was also used as key reference information for the British side.

According to the accounts of Kuomintang spies, they saw groups of trucks transporting combat supplies on the road from Kunming to Ruili.[

Further information is that retired soldiers throughout Yunnan have been notified of being ready to demobilize at any time. This is not a small number. The result of years of professional military construction, those veterans are always thinking about returning to the army. As long as this recruitment

The order to expand the army was finally issued, and the southwest will immediately have at least two more divisions of older veteran troops.

Then, before the Kuomintang troops had time to implement the Nanjing government's order to "delay a considerable number of Southwest troops," they discovered various anomalies.

First, planes from the Southwest began to patrol over the defensive belts of the two armies non-stop. Then, in Fujian, Hubei, and Shaanxi, it was discovered that the Southwest Army was conducting actual exercises, and the other side's test "fires" could be heard from miles away.

The loud explosion produced by heavy artillery.

Faced with unfavorable intelligence from all directions, the British Far East Command in Myanmar also fell into panic.
To be continued...