In the early morning of April 16, dust and smoke suddenly rose in the quiet main areas of Jizhong, southern Hebei, and eastern Hebei. People roared and horses neighed, and the 17th Army's large-scale military exercises were suddenly launched without any warning.
The two brigades of Lu Yixuan's 17th Division stationed in Cangzhou divided into two groups and headed towards Suning in the west. The 51st Brigade stationed in Qingxian County simultaneously launched martial law throughout the territory, and the brigade's artillery battalions were mobilized; the 51st Brigade stationed in Hengshui With the help of the transportation group directly under the headquarters, soldiers of Yang Jiuxiao's 40th Division took more than 100 vehicles and quickly headed north along the highway and railway. Among them, the 119th Brigade, which was responsible for the assault mission, took the train and advanced at full speed.
In the Baoding area, the Second and Third Brigades of the *** Division under Chief of Staff Yang Guan temporarily acted as division commander, and quickly launched a fierce offensive and defensive exercise around Qingyuan Airport; Hu Jialin personally commanded the mountain brigade, anti-aircraft artillery brigade and The directly-affiliated artillery regiment rumbled northward, quickly advancing towards the blocking position pre-set by the only brigade of the *** Division, and at ten o'clock in the morning, as planned, it launched a fierce artillery attack on the blocking position at Rangmatai north of Baiyangdian.
At ten o'clock in the morning, Peiping, Tianjin, Langfang and other areas were in panic and chaos. Rumors that "the 17th Army attacked the Japanese invaders in Tianjin and wanted to completely control North China" spread rapidly. Traitor organizations across North China remembered Hu Jialin's 17th Army's murderous killings. Using iron-blooded methods, they no longer ignored the dissuasion of the Communist agents and fled to Tianjin and Shanhaiguan. The North China garrison troops of Song Zheyuan, Yu Xuezhong, and Wan Fulin were shocked. They gathered in panic and hurriedly gathered in the military camp to prepare for war. , fearing that the 17th Army's sudden attack would trigger massive Japanese retaliation.
*** The Consul General in Peiping and the Consul General in Tianjin hurried to the Peking Military Branch and the Hebei Provincial Government in Tianjin to raise stern questions and strong objections to He Yingqin and Yu Xuezhong; *** The Tianjin Garrison Army, the Navy and Marine Corps The brigade assembled urgently and prepared for battle in a hurry. Umezu Yoshijiro decisively issued an order to prepare for all street battles. The Kwantung Army headquarters was shocked when receiving the emergency report and immediately ordered the divisions and brigades in the Recha area to stop advancing and stand by in place. A regiment of the Kwantung Army stationed in Shanhaiguan was ordered to rush south to rush to Tianjin in an emergency; the Japanese naval fleet stationed in Lushun received an urgent message from the staff headquarters. While laughing at the army's incompetence, it launched six large and small ships to transport three thousand troops stationed in the Liaodong Peninsula. The Marine Corps rushed to Tianjin to provide support.
The entire North China was in panic and panic. Until noon, He Yingqin, Song Zheyuan, Yu Xuezhong and others still had not received a reply from the 17th Army. They were dubious about the "routine exercise" report replied by the General Staff Headquarters. In He Yingqin's words: " In such a sensitive period, such a large-scale exercise was suddenly held in such a complex area without notifying me, the Minister of Military Affairs and the Chairman of the Peking Military Branch, in advance. How is it possible?"
What made He Yingqin even more crazy was that there was no response to the three urgent reports and request messages sent to Chiang Kai-shek. Song Zheyuan was so frightened that he asked twice: "Is An Yi behind the sudden attack of the 17th Army?" Instigated?"
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the entire North China region was already in a state of panic. The divisions and brigades of the 17th Army were still rumbling northward at a frightening speed. There was no sign of stopping, and they stopped from time to time to engage in fierce confrontations along the way. After the exercise, each division and brigade continued to move forward without stopping, giving people the impression that it was a show of force along the way and a warm-up before a large-scale attack on Japan.
At 2:15 in the afternoon, Chiang Kai-shek finally sent a reply from Guiyang, confirming that this was "a small-scale spring exercise organized by the General Staff Headquarters according to the annual plan and initiated by the Seventeenth Army. The exercise areas are all within the Seventeenth Army's defense area."
"In order to test the results of military reform and explore the ability to deal with sudden crises under new situations. The exercise lasts for 48 hours and is highly confidential. After the exercise, all the 17th Army will return to defense. Troops stationed in various places do not need to panic."
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He Yingqin was relieved and immediately sent people to the *** consulate to explain that this was a normal military exercise carried out by the Chinese *** team on their own land. Although it was highly targeted, it did not harm the interests of various countries stationed in China.
, did not approach the Tianjin area and directly pose a threat to the concessions of the great powers.
Song Zheyuan, Wan Fulin, Shang Zhen and other generals who gathered around He Yingqin and Yu Xuezhong and other generals who came from Tianjin looked at each other. They suddenly had a very bad omen, guessing whether there had been close contact and confrontation with the Japanese army for more than a year.
Japan's compromising attitude had aroused extreme dissatisfaction among Chiang Kai-shek and the hard-liners in the army, so they suddenly resorted to this dirty trick to touch the nerves of the armies in North China?
The conference room was surprisingly calm. None of the hot-tempered military generals in North China got angry. Instead, they all sat down to drink tea with gloomy faces. What they savored was not the aroma of the tea, but trying to figure out this sudden incident.
What is the essence behind the incident?
Wan Fulin thought further. He Yingqin, the Minister of Military and Political Affairs, was appointed by the Government Affairs Council and accepted the dual leadership of Wang Jingwei's central government and Chiang Kai-shek's Central Military Commission. The Peiping Military Branch accepted the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. This incident
The sudden exercise was initiated by the General Staff Headquarters, which accepted the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission. Although it was a bit abrupt not to tell He Yingqin, according to the differences between their respective subordinates, it was not necessary to inform He Yingqin.
It is normal to tell He Yingqin and the Peking Military Branch. The General Staff Headquarters itself is an organization at the same level as the Military and Political Department. There is no question of who leads whom. Moreover, the two generals who currently control the General Staff Headquarters are An Yi and Ge Jingen.
I am afraid that Yang Jie, who was approved by the first *** meeting to be the deputy chief of staff of the headquarters again, has not yet taken office. Even if he takes office, he will not refute the face of An Yi and Ge Jing'en, who have been colleagues for several years. Moreover, behind An Yi and Ge Jing'en is Chiang Kai-shek.
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Secondly, Wan Fulin believes that He Yingqin has become too close to Wang Jingwei in the past six months or so. He is consistent with Wang Jingwei's views on many political positions and compromises with Japan. The only difference is the degree. It is likely that this is the reason.
After angering his old master Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Kai-shek used Hu Jialin, the direct line general who guarded Jizhong and southern Hebei, to command the powerful 17th Army to launch a sudden maneuver of this scale.
Xi's purpose is to give Wang Jingwei and other pro-Japanese factions some color, and to sound the alarm to He Yingqin and the generals stationed in North China, thereby intimidating political opponents and regaining the leadership of the government. At the very least, it will make Wang Jingwei and other pro-Japanese factions scrambled and exhausted.
The diplomatic censure of the great powers, especially the Communist Party, may change the situation in North China, which will in turn affect the troops stationed in various places in North China. At that time, everyone must make a clear choice.
Shang Zhen saw Wan Fulin drinking tea silently with a calm face, which was very different from Yu Xuezhong whose expression changed drastically, and thought that ginger is still hotter when he is old!
Wan Fulin suddenly turned his head and saw the meaningful smile on Shang Zhen's face. He knew that Shang Zhen had thought about many practical issues like him. He smiled and put down the teacup gently. He was about to say something to break the awkward and dull mood.
In the atmosphere, He Yingqin's words started to ring out half-heartedly.
"Everyone, since the matter has been clarified, there is no need for us to discuss it anymore. I just want you to do more follow-up work after you go back to appease the military and civilians and ensure the stability of North China. I have sent someone to explain to the Communist Party. I will wait for Ying Bai
Mr. Huang (Huang Yong) will just have to hold understanding talks with the Japanese consul after he returns from Zhangbei."
Song Zheyuan saw He Yingqin standing up with a serious expression and tightening the armed belt on his belly, which was starting to gain weight. He quickly stood up and asked: "Brother Jing, where are you going?"
"I'm going to Baoding. I want to meet Hu Jialin and see what he's up to?" He Yingqin replied calmly, but the annoyance in his eyes showed that he was definitely not in a calm and peaceful state of mind at this moment.
Song Zheyuan also wanted to go with him, but just as he was about to move, Shang Zhen grabbed him by the corner of his clothes under the table. After a slight hesitation, he sat back.
Shang Zhen smiled with a comfortable smile and said in a very regretful tone: "I heard that Brother Hu's 17th Army has just added three special brigades. When their new armored vehicles were installed in Hankou,
It has spread throughout our military. I heard that this six-wheel drive high-horsepower tank has great firepower.
Powerful, the new special steel armor can easily resist the close range fire of heavy machine guns, and ordinary cluster grenades can't do anything. My younger brother and my brothers in the army are extremely envious! I just don't want to cause trouble to Brother Jing's official duties, so I'd better find another time.
Let’s go observe and learn from the scriptures again, haha!”
Everyone immediately understood and knew that He Yingqin's trip to Baoding would definitely not lead to any good results. Instead of standing aside and watching the two sides with deep grievances get angry, it was better not to get into trouble. Besides, if they went there, they might be attacked by Hu Jialin and the 17th Army.
The group of young men misunderstood that they were aiding He Yingqin in boxing, which made the two ends indifferent and incompatible.
He Yingqin's steps froze for a moment. At this moment, he still didn't know what the old fox Shang Zhen was thinking. He couldn't help but smile, nodded and watched the generals get up and go out. He suddenly felt that Shang Zhen's smooth and tepid personality
His personality is almost exactly the same as his fighting style. Shang Zhen, who is known throughout the army for his good defense, can always give his opponents a hard blow without hesitation in a solid defense, and he does not show off his skills, and he can still act well when he makes a profit.
The generals agreed to find a time to go to Baoding to see the new army's new equipment, greeted each other and returned to their respective camps.
Forty minutes later, Yan Xishan, who was nervously paying attention to the situation in North China in Taiyuan, received a detailed secret report from Shang Zhen. After reading the telegram, Yan Xishan hit the first chapter on the table and couldn't help but shout: "One stone, three birds, great!"
"
All the confidants quickly asked the reason, and Yan Xishan briefly reported the contents of the telegram. Finally, he laughed heartily amidst the exclamations: "That guy Wang Jingwei is going to be in trouble this time. I am afraid that the consuls and envoys of various countries stationed in Beijing will break through his trap."
Threshold, I'm afraid he won't be able to explain clearly if given two more words. Tangtang
Chairman Mao Zedong, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the Government Affairs Council, and concurrently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, actually knew nothing about the drills of a garrison. What would the friendly countries think? What would all the people from all walks of life in the country and the frontier officials think? Haha.
! What’s even more wonderful is that the exercise area is in North China, which is currently the most sensitive area, and
So far, there is no sign of stopping. The sentence in Qiyu (Shang Zhen)'s message, "It is very likely to cross its defense zone and march to the southwest of Tianjin" completely grasps the character of Hu Jialin of the 17th Army.
With Hu Jialin's cruelty and ruthlessness, he didn't want to scare the people in Tianjin city in the end.
If the Japanese do not establish their military power and safeguard their honor, the entire exercise will be in vain. In Baoding, he was able to kill four to five hundred people without blinking an eye, and the next day he shot more than three hundred people again.
He just wants to kill a chicken and show it to a fucking monkey. Is there anything else this kid wouldn’t dare to do? He’s got the guts!”
All the confidants nodded frequently and sighed for a while.
Sun Chu, the general of the Jinsui Army, was very thoughtful, and he got to the point in just one sentence: "Commander, is Chiang Kai-shek using the strategy of knocking mountains and shaking tigers against the princes of North China?"
Yan Xishan nodded and looked at Sun Chu with approval: "Well said! Cui Ya (Sun Chu) has made great progress in the past two years! At this time, I am afraid that the commanders of the armies on both sides are restless, especially Song Zheyuan and
Yu Xuezhong, in order to maintain his territory and position over the past year, has continued to do what others like him, and actually
However, a large number of *** instructors were publicly hired to teach in the army. Song Zheyuan's army *** instructors were actually assigned to the regiment and camp level. The *** people could see through him inside and outside, including the crotch.
They had to endure the Japanese scoldings throughout the day, and they had to tremble every time a Japanese soldier sneezed.
"On the other hand, our Jinsui Army, an army led by Qi Yu, is stationed in the key areas of Pingjin and Tianjin, and has not hired any Japanese instructors. Hasn't it always been calm? As a result, the Japanese have to hustle and win over, and they still dare not confront them.
I, the Jinsui Army, have to say harsh words and make judgments!
"I am afraid that the most uncomfortable people in this exercise will be Yu Xuezhong and Song Zheyuan. Anyway, Wan Fulin's troops will soon go south to suppress the bandits. Zhang Hanqing received compensation from Chiang Kai-shek and had to give up the territory of North China and Northeast China.
The army has no face to continue to stay in this land of right and wrong in North China. For us, it is a huge opportunity! Haha, fighting and playing dirty is just like doing business. Chiang Kai-shek made a good deal this time.
!”
Artillery commander Zhou Dai stroked his long beard and nodded: "The person who planned this exercise is a talented person! I'm afraid it was done by Yang Jie, right?"
Yan Xishan smiled slightly: "No no! Yang Jie just took up the post of deputy chief of staff again at the beginning of the month. Ge Jingen has been following the chairman's side to direct the suppression of bandits. Neither of them has the time, nor can they command the 17th Hu Jialin Army. Only
If one person can do it, that's An Yi."
Everyone was convinced, and Yan Xishan continued: "Everyone, what do you think of An Yi's business?"
"Why do you need to say that?!" Who among the generals doesn't know that An Yi is now the richest man in the country.
Yan Xishan nodded with satisfaction: "That's right. An Yi can achieve such a level of business, what else needs to be said? Haha! Our children are getting better and better at doing business. The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead...