October 15, 1919. The Northern Capital of the Republic of China Government Beijing.

At this time, the city of Beijing seemed to have completely turned into the world of the yellow national defense force. One train and one train soldier was transported from the Beijing-Hanzhou and Beijing-Tianjin railways. A large number of troops were launched into the Fengtai Camp, the Nanyuan Camp, the Beiyuan Camp, and even the Temple of Heaven outside Zhengyang Gate of Beijing.

These troops transferred from the south one after another were all the "Central Army" directly belonging to the Military Commission. Chang Ruiqing never relied on any "special elite troops". Under his "Central Army" system, all infantry divisions, including the Central Military Academy Teaching Corps (it is just the troops for students internships in the Central Military Academy, with good quality of soldiers and officers), had exactly the same equipment and the same training. Most ordinary infantry experienced four to five months of complete training, and the training time for artillery and cavalry was longer.

The lower-level officers who directly commanded them were basically all graduates of the Huangpu Crash Class. Although the Central Military Academy has merged with the Baoding Military Academy, and has opened a two-year long-term class, and has hired a large number of Belarusian instructors, the new and more fully trained officers have not yet left the school gate. Only some graduates from the sixth and seventh classes of Baoding have been assigned to agencies directly under the Central Committee, headquarters or combat troops above the regiment to serve as staff. Therefore, the command and training of the "Central Army" have not improved much compared to a few months ago, but their weapons and equipment have reached a new level.

The large arsenal controlled by Chang Ruiqing's system, including the China** Industrial Group and the Ministry of Arms, already includes the Shanghai Manufacturing Bureau, Nanjing Manufacturing Bureau, Fujian Manufacturing Bureau, Hanyang Manufacturing Bureau, Gongxian Arsenal, Chengdu Arsenal, Guangdong Shijing Arsenal, etc., and seven other companies! Among them, the Shanghai Manufacturing Bureau also has the ability to mass produce Japanese-style 75mm mountain cannons (including gun barrel steel) and 80mm mortars. At the same time, the Fujian Manufacturing Bureau's new artillery shells, bullet production lines, ** and gunpowder factories have all been put into production. Although such military production capacity is far inferior to Japan and even British India, it is much stronger than China in the same period in history, and it is enough to ensure that the Central Army of the National Defense Forces has the most basic supply of weapons and equipment.

Now, each Central Army's infantry division has been equipped with an artillery regiment equipped with 16 75mm mountain cannons, and the 80mm mortar company is equipped with a regiment-level unit. Each infantry battalion has a platoon equipped with water-cooled heavy machine guns, and each infantry company has a water-cooled heavy machine gun. As for "automated firearms" such as submachine guns and light machine guns that are expensive and wasteful of ammunition, our Changda warlords are not willing to buy a large number of troops, and there is no plan to imitate them in a short period of time... After all, China is still a country with very backward basic industries.

However, Chang Ruiqing had a special liking for large-caliber artillery. Since the end of April 1919, artillery purchased from the United States and France have arrived one after another. The Artillery Command under the Military Commission used these artillery to form a large-scale artillery brigade and a fortress artillery brigade (equipped with 7-inch cannons). This time, Chang Ruiqing brought all four of the already-established artillery brigades to Beijing, as if he was planning to fight a dignified positional battle with the Russians on the Mongolian grasslands.

The Logistics Command, directly under the Military Commission, also drove the General Station to Beijing, and relied on the Jinghan, Jingsui, Beijing-Tianjin and Beining Railways to set up a series of large-scale military stations, and also opened central and small military stations in Chahar and Suiyuan, as well as southern Mongolia. Officials from the Military Control Department were still in Zhili and Chahar areas to acquire strong mules and horses. They also ordered people to specially build military harnesses and large trucks, and also laid a large number of thickened winter military uniforms and hats for the garment factories in Beijing-Tianjin area.

The order was prepared to attack northern Mongolia in the winter of 1919. Chen Jiongming, the current Beijing left-behind Chen Jiongming, gave the greatest convenience and support. Although this veteran of the Kuomintang system was not accustomed to Chang Ruiqing's dictatorship, he still admired his determination to defend the country. Therefore, he temporarily put down his party and door-to-door views and supported our Chairman of the Standing Committee with the greatest enthusiasm.

Today, Chen Jiongming rushed to the Beijing headquarters of the Military Commission in Zhongnanhai early in the morning to report, but it was not for the Northern Expedition to Mongolia, but for the movement that had just happened in North Korea. Although the Japanese officials were still covering up the incident of the revolution in North Korea, the Japanese garrisons in Incheon and Yizhou also cut off the wired telegrams to China as soon as possible. However, Chen Jiongming still knew the general situation of the incident through their Kuomintang intelligence network the day after the revolution broke out in North Korea. Then he heard some bad news and came to see Chang Ruiqing in anger.

When he walked into the Beijing headquarters in Zhongnanhai, he found that the atmosphere was different from usual. All the staff members looked serious. The phone ringtones were much more intense than usual. Senior officers kept coming from the military base in a car. When they entered Zhongnanhai, they hurried to the Huairen Hall war room, as if they were going to hold an emergency meeting. Chen Jiongming's heart sank: "Is there any major military operation? But the preparations for entering Mongolia have not been completed yet!"

At this time, Xu Chongzhi, the commander of the Mongolian Front, also hurried to the outside of Huairen Hall. Chen Jiongming hurriedly called him: "You are brother, what happened? Are you going to drive to Mongolia? Are mules, horses and people enough? Should the Beijing Left-behind Department find a way to raise some?"

Xu Chongzhi respected Chen Jiongming, a senior of the Kuomintang. So he hurriedly walked up to him and replied in a low voice: "It must be something big of a move in this situation, but it is impossible to go to Mongolia, at least it will not allow the main force to march towards Mongolia. Chang Yaoru assembled 8 infantry troops around Beijing and Tianjin, with a total force of nearly 400,000, and four heavy artillery brigades with more than 100 heavy artillery pieces... How many civilian mules and horses should be used to go to Mongolia to ensure logistics? It is completely impossible to raise it."

Chen Jiongming was stunned by his words. Where could Chang Ruiqing's army go if it weren't for Mongolia? Could it be the Northeast? Thinking of this, he took Xu Chongzhi's hand and said, "Let's go see Chang Yaoru together, by the way... Do you know what happened in North Korea?"

Although Chen Jiongming has no military position now, his status as a left-behind Beijing is still very high. Chang Ruiqing also intends to win over this giant in the Kuomintang that can be tied with Hu Hanmin and Jiang JShi, so he gave him a pass to enter and exit the Beijing headquarters war room.

Xu Chongzhi knew nothing about North Korea. While walking into the combat room with Chen Jiongming, he asked the other party: "What happened in North Korea?"

"Rebellion! North Korea has a revolution... Just yesterday, Seoul and Pyongyang were occupied by the rebels! It seems that their GCD and Dongxue Party joined forces to work together, and a Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was established in Pyongyang. Sun Byung-hee, the leader of Dongxue Party, became the Provisional President. It's really troublesome!"

Chen Jiongming sighed, and walked into the battle room of Chang Ruiqing's headquarters in Huairen Hall in three steps. Sure enough, he saw a large number of senior generals of the National Defense Forces gathered together. Chang Ruiqing held his hands and stood with Lu Yixuan, listening to the former stationmaster of the Far East Station of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and the current head of the intelligence department of the Beijing headquarters of the Military Commission, Shen Xingye, was saying something.

"...East from Chita, the Siberian Railway north of the Amur River was severely damaged. Almost all the railway bridges were blown up, and the Japanese did not repair them, at least when Beizhi left. Therefore, the coalition forces on Chita front now can rely on the only logistics line. Once there is any problem with Zhongdong Road, the 400,000 troops on Chita front line may be defeated without a fight! However, Commander-in-Chief Jiang and the Japanese also knew this. So they deployed heavy troops along the Middle East Road, especially along the Middle East Railway east of Daxinganling. Among them, there is a Northeast army in the section from Manzhouli to Daxinganling, and there is an infantry division in Manzhouli, Hailar, and the other in Yakesh. In addition, a cavalry brigade of Tang Yulin was guarding the Hulunbuir grassland. It should be foolproof."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yixuan frowned and said, "What a foolproof thing? It's all full of loopholes! Tang Yulin's cavalry brigade bullied the Mongols on the grassland. If he met the Soviet First Cavalry Army, it would definitely be defeated. As for the infantry army, it would be even more unreliable. There were three divisions on the nearly 300-kilometer railway line. There was no problem guarding the stronghold. But if you left the stronghold and went to field battle with the Soviet cavalry army, it would definitely be no match for...

...In the intelligence said that the Russians have collected tens of thousands of Mongolian men and 20,000 Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army this time. They are not good at fighting, so they can still make do with the railways. At that time, even if Jiang JShi's men guard Manzhouli, Hailar and Yakesh will be useless. The Middle East Railway will still be cut off. Once the railway is broken, Chita's 400,000 troops will be waiting to starve to death! It seems that the next situation can only be restored by us."

When Lu Yixuan said this, Chen Jiongming and Xu Chongzhi had already come up. The two of them clearly heard it, and their faces changed drastically. Chen Jiongming even walked to Chang Ruiqing a few steps, Lu Yixuan asked loudly, "Yaoru, Zixiu, what's going on? Are there police officers on Zhongdong Road?"

Chang Ruiqing nodded with a dark face: "A report just received, the cavalry of King Dar Khan of Korchin found a large number of Soviet-Russian puppet-Mongolia coalition forces advancing eastward in the upper reaches of the Krulun River. Including the baggage troops, the number may exceed 100,000!"

"The lower reaches of the Kruren River? It's not far from the Middle East Railway? Is it still too late to send troops to reinforce immediately?" Although Chen Jiongming was the commander-in-chief of the Guangdong Army, his military literacy was very poor and he didn't know the terrain of Outer Mongolia, so he asked such a low-powered question.

Xu Chongzhi stomped his feet and shouted, "It's too late, too late... The lower reaches of the Kruren River are only more than 200 kilometers away from the Middle East Railway. Moreover, King Dar Khan's cavalry did not fly back to report the news! When they send the news to the palace of Hailar, they will report it to the Northeast Army Headquarters... This Russian is afraid that he has already been called!"

Chang Ruiqing glanced at Xu Chongzhi, who was a little angry, and said lightly: "It's useless to be anxious now, so I'd better feel like I want a solution. My idea is that the three strongholds of Manzhouli, Hailar and Yakesh must be defended no matter what. If you keep there, the Su Meng army will not be able to stay in the Hulunbuir grassland for a long time... It's not difficult for our main force to drive them away when we arrive in the northeast."

"But..." Xu Chongzhi's face turned pale, and he opened his mouth and didn't know what to say.

Chang Ruiqing said again: "Who is guarding Manzhouli, Hailar and Yakesh now?"

"It is General Guo Maochen's 5th Army of the Northeast Army." Lu Yixuan replied.

Chang Ruiqing nodded: "In the name of the Chairman of the Military Commission, General Guo Maochen, he must stick to Manzhouli, Hailar and Yakesh no matter what! If one of these three places is lost, then the military law will be ruthless!"

Chen Jiongming and Xu Chongzhi looked at each other, both with inexplicable surprise. The 5th Army of the Northeast Army is not a direct-institutional force of the Military Commission! Chang Ruiqing now wants to give orders with the central government and use military laws to threaten Guo Songling. What are you trying to do?

...

"This... This Soviet Union is about to fight. What are your plans? If they are asked to cut off the Middle East Railway, Chita's 400,000 coalition forces will be completely finished!" Jiang JShi's face turned pale. Looking at the Northeast Army generals who were hurriedly summoned to Shenyang for a meeting, they all looked at him at a loss.

Jiang JShi was also a little frightened. Although he had the title of anti-Russian hero, he also commanded the army to defeat Semenov's 60,000 Belarusian troops last year. But he had long figured out the difference between the Soviet Red Army and Semenov's Belarusian troops! The 400,000 Sino-Japanese Xianbei Lisan coalition on Chita were all suppressed. How could the more than 30,000 people along the Central East Road west of Daxinganling be the opponent of the "100,000" Soviet-Mongolian coalition? If the Central East Road is cut off, not only will his four troops not be able to return, but even the 15 Japanese divisions will make people cut off their way back! What will he use to defend the Northeast? Now it is possible that the Soviet Union will attack the Northeast, but there are not only the Soviet Union, but also the 400,000 Central Army placed around Beijing and Tianjin!

At this time, Jiang JShi was thinking of coming up with a way no matter what. He maintained the battle situation on the Middle East Road and could not cut off the 400,000 coalition forces of Chita! But what can he think of now?

Several senior generals of the Northeast Army below began to talk.

"Or... hurry up the 6th Army in Harbin and the 7th Army in Jinzhou? In this way, three armies can be invested in the western section of the Middle East Road, and you should be able to fight."

"It's not possible, the troops are not mobilized so quickly. Both troops are now deploying defenses. It will take several days to concentrate, and it will not be possible to get there after being pulled by the railway for a week. At that time, the railway tracks in the western section of the Central and Eastern Road will be removed, and even if the Russian soldiers are driven away, it will be over. Now let the Japanese transfer troops from Chita. I don't know if their movements can be faster?"

"Let's just transfer troops from both ends together. Let's transfer the 6th Army up and let the Japanese transfer a division back to the rescue..."

"If you want to make the worst plan, no matter how fast the Japanese move, it will take two or three days to transfer a division into the Manzhouli area and start fighting, and at least one week to open the Middle East Railway. If the Russians do any more damage, they will have to find a way to repair it, at least one week, right? Does Chita have half a month's reserve of supplies? I think it's better to let Chita's main force retreat along the Middle East Road... save the troops first, and then find a way to counterattack!"

"The Soviet Red Army on the Chita front will not watch the coalition forces retreat... Someone will definitely stay behind the rear. Who do you think the Japanese will let them stay?"

The people below were all from Japanese non-commissioned officers, and they were still proficient in military affairs. After a short while of discussion, they had an idea. The Battle of Chita must be given up! The main force retreated to China, but the question is who will be the palace army? This is definitely annihilated! Jiang JShi's brows were tighter and tighter, as if he had seen his four armies all became prisoners of the Soviet Red Army, and Chang Ruiqing also took advantage of the situation to rob and send troops to occupy his Northeast lair!

At this moment, there was a loud boot at the door, and then I saw Matsui Ishigen, the Japanese military adviser of the Northeast Army, running in sweat. As soon as he saw Jiang JS, he shouted loudly: "Commander-in-Chief Jiang, the Soviet Red Army and the Mongol cavalry have already attacked the Hulunbuir grassland! Please order the 5th Army of the Northeast Army to attack, and you must... drag the Soviet and Mongolian army! At least three days, the Imperial Army reinforcements will arrive in Manzhouli within three days."

After hearing Matsui Ishien's words, everyone in the room couldn't help but gasp. This was to buy time for the Japanese to spend more than 30,000 lives in the Fifth Army!

Jiang JShi looked gloomy and said nothing. Wang Boling, the chief of staff of the Northeast Army, hurriedly said to Matsui Ishien, "Matsui, after we have studied it, we think we should give up the Red Tower and first withdraw the main force to Manzhouli, so that the green mountains are there, and we are not afraid of no firewood!"

Matsui Ishien looked at Wang Boling with a gloomy look: "General Wang, the Imperial Army knows how to fight, so you don't need to teach you! Now the Imperial Army has the upper hand on the Chita front, and the sneak attack of the Soviet Red Army is their last fight! As long as we take out our defensive battle with them on the Hulunbuir grassland, persist in the arrival of the Imperial Army's reinforcements, our two countries will win this war. At that time, Commander-in-Chief Jiang will be China's number one hero, and the Japanese Empire will fully support him to become China's first person!"

After hearing this, Jiang JShi could only grit his teeth and smile bitterly. He nodded to Wang Boling: "Maoru, follow the instructions of Matsui Consultant to go and give orders to Guo Maochen! Then order the 6th Army to advance west of the Daxinganling Mountains immediately to reinforce Guo Maochen's 5th Army."...)

{Piaotian Literature www.PiaoTian.net Thank you for your support, your support is our greatest motivation}
Chapter completed!