"And our army can only become a service department that provides technical guidance for civilian officials to organize temporary armies, commanding a team of major generals who are short of soldiers but have high hopes for senior military police. When necessary, they can be used to suppress the disobedient and stubborn troops.
It also depends on the attitude of the Navy, the National Army, the Coast Guard, the Tax Police and others!"
Xi Yazhou waited for him to finish venting, and then said kindly: "Both Secretary Dongmen of the General Staff and I know your opinion. All the elders, including the former leaders of our General Staff, are very concerned about the construction of the army. Some people in the army
He also knows his thoughts. The development of the Army in recent years has been relatively restricted. It is normal for everyone to have opinions. However, the current situation has both subjective factors and objective reasons. Don't blame it all the time.
On conspiracy theories.”
Seeing that Zhang Bolin wanted to refute, Xi Yazhou smiled again: "I have been squatting in Sanya for several years. People, sometimes you have to be a bystander to understand. I won't say any more. I will just mention three points. You go back
Think about it carefully."
"First, although the several hundred people in our Senate come from all over the world, they all come with one goal in mind: to establish a country under our control, and everyone should be regarded as a master. This, I believe, even in Du Wen's heart
That's what I think - no matter what his ambitions and ideas are, without power, he is nothing."
Zhang Bolin nodded: "Who doesn't think so? Otherwise, what are we going through life and death for?"
"Second point, the Nidaime once said that the army must be patient. In our case, it means 'the army must be patient'. I am also an army, but I wholeheartedly support this sentence. This is determined by our current environment.
...You may disagree with my opinion, but from D-Day to now, we have never failed militarily. We have won a great victory in battles. We can be said to be invincible and invincible - this is not how wise we are personally.
Shenwu, but we have the system of the Senate to support us, don’t you deny this fact?”
Zhang Bolin showed an unconvinced expression, but he had no way to refute. Without the Senate, there is nothing. Regardless of the army or navy, no one dares to deny this.
"The third point is that the environment and conditions have changed, and the situation will naturally change accordingly. In the past few years, every expansion of the army is related to changes in our strategic situation. This time in the mainland expedition, 10 battalions may be able to capture Guangdong.
But 10 battalions will definitely not be able to conquer the whole country - let alone other places. No matter how powerful the navy is, it cannot allow warships to be driven ashore."
Zhang Bolin snorted and gasped, but said no more.
Xi Yazhou continued: "The Guangdong Campaign is both a test and an opportunity for us. I think the opportunity is more important." He looked at his watch and said, "It's getting late. You should go back to the army first." He saw Zhang
Berlin was about to stand up, and then said: "As a former and current soldier, I also want to remind you: Senators can say random things in private, but they cannot do things randomly. The Senate also has discipline - never forget the past and the future.
Master of things, go ahead."
Watching Zhang Bolin leave, Xi Yazhou stood up, pulled the hem of his clothes, and walked around the office again with his hands behind his back. The army entered Guangzhou, and Mayor Liu came in in a big sedan, looking very graceful.
. He naturally had to deal with the mess in Guangzhou.
Guangzhou was captured peacefully, but the next thing would not be that simple. Xi Yazhou knew very well that according to the current situation, it would not take much effort to march all the way to take over the city. Just like the actions of various troops around Guangzhou, at best
It is an armed parade. When you go to the city and shout, whether it is a state or county garrison or a garrison in the city, you all look forward to the wind.
Capturing Guangdong or even Guangxi is not difficult for him, the commander of the South China Army. As long as he controls the rhythm of the troops and supervises the logistics work, the next thing will be determined by the marching speed of the troops.
What he is worried about now is the upcoming security war.
In addition to the Pearl River Delta region, Guangdong is mostly mountainous, with Han and Yao people living together, and ethnic conflicts are acute; among the Han people, the Guangfu, Chaozhou, and Hakka are at odds with each other; the rural areas are mostly villages where ethnic groups live together.
The situation everywhere is so complicated that it has rarely been seen since the Senate landed.
The General Staff made various plans for the Guangdong Campaign, and made seventeen or eighty in one breath. There were three plans for fighting the Ming army, and more than a dozen plans for the security war. The problem was, although he personally participated in the production of these plans
, but I know very well in my heart that this is of no use.
The cornerstone of the public security war: the National Army in each county is still on paper. According to the opinions of Xi Yazhou and others, the county National Army should be at least a three-company system plus a "brigade" directly under the team. However, due to budget constraints,
Most counties can only accommodate one overstaffed "squadron".
What use can a 120-man squadron do? Even the strong squads in small counties in Hainan with a household population of only a few thousand people have thirty or forty people. These hundreds of people can only meet the needs of the most basic counties and important transportation hubs.
The defense work of the National Army will be stretched when it comes to riot control. Moreover, the combat effectiveness of this hastily established National Army is not worth mentioning. It is good if it can do the defense work well. If something happens, the regular army will have to be mobilized, and the regular army will inevitably be exhausted.
Xie Peng walked in: "Commander, the ship is ready. The captain asked when to set off?"
"Let's go immediately!" Xi Yazhou put on his military cap, picked up his saber and tied it on. Instead of thinking about it here, it is better to start work as soon as possible and solve the problem at work.
Xi Yazhou's boat was moored at a special pier under the Great World. This was the inland river paddle steamer Octopus that was specially built for Guo Yi. Now this boat has been handed over to the Guangzhou Municipal Government at the beginning of the Guangzhou Campaign as a dignitary.
Specialized ship. The specially designed shallow draft design allows it to reach most places in Xijiang and Beijiang. The shipyard in Hong Kong also carried out a surprise modification on this ship in the past few months, adding armor that can withstand firearms and bows and arrows.
A protective net was installed to prevent enemies from boarding the ship and jumping gangs. At the same time, a 5-barrel Hotchkiss manual rotating gun was installed at the bow and stern of the ship. An Army Major General's flag was flying on the mast.
On the pier, the guards lined up with guns and ammunition. As soon as Xi Yazhou came out of the gate of the big world, a trumpeter blew the trumpet, and then everyone raised their guns in salute. Xi Yazhou, wearing a thin woolen officer's cloak, holding a command knife in his hand, saluted in reply.
Just boarded the ship.
The whistle blew three times on the dock, Minglun slowly turned, the water rolled, the sailors put away the anchor, and the Octopus slowly left the dock.
Because the Octopus cruise ship is a tugboat with a lot of horsepower, the joint logistics department, which is known for not wasting money, ignored the "military appearance" and insisted on hanging five passenger tugs behind it. Not only did they load the South China Army headquarters personnel, but also the Civil affairs cadres, joint service officers and other naturalized civilian cadres who were going to Foshan and Sanshui were all brought with them.
Although the cities along the way have been captured, there is no appeasement in the place after all, and there are already many bandits on the waterway, so the entire tugboat fleet is heavily guarded. Not only are the naturalized civilian officers and cadres armed with guns, but there are also five sailors on each passenger tug. The sentry post on the top of the ship was on alert. The Pearl River Squadron also dispatched an inland river gunboat to serve as escort.
The first stop to Sanshui is Foshan. Foshan was famous for its prosperous industry and commerce during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was known as one of the four largest towns in the world.
Although Foshan in the Ming Dynasty was not as prosperous as the Qing Dynasty, it was already a "giant town" that ordinary small counties could not match.
Its geographical location is convenient, with water and land transportation extending in all directions. Since ancient times, it has been a place where industry and agriculture have developed, and merchants have gathered. Ancient books record: "All treasures and goods are transported from the north to the south, with Foshan as the hub, and business is booming." It has become a commodity distribution center in the Lingnan area. It is prosperous. The trade has driven the handicraft industry. The smelting, ceramics and textiles here are very developed. The traditional Chinese medicine industry is also very prosperous. Medicinal materials from the province and other places are gathered here for sale.
Because this is the largest commodity distribution center in Guangdong, and it is also a large market that can radiate to Guangdong, Guangxi and even the whole country. Both Shanhai Road and Shanhai Road under the Senate's commercial system have set up branches here to handle procurement, sales and exchange business. Therefore, it is a good place for the elders to come. They say they are very familiar with it. The elders have come here many times to purchase goods: the industrial port purchased pig iron and copper materials in large quantities here. The sanitary port also purchased medicinal materials here, and the sporadic purchases are even more numerous.
Naturally, the Senate had to take good care of such a chicken that could lay golden eggs. As soon as Guangzhou was defeated, the Left Route Army sent a task force by boat to attack Foshan with lightning speed, bringing with it Lin Ming, the local leader of Foshan. The leader of the leading party also immediately responded and captured the Foshan Fort of the Ming Dynasty without any bloodshed. The action was so fast that even the merchants in the town did not understand it. The Foshan Fort of the Ming Dynasty had become the "Foshan Town of the Song Dynasty". Already.
Although the King's Banner has been changed at the top of the city, as long as the people can live a peaceful life, they will naturally not care. Although the market is not as good as before due to the influence of the "war", the streets of the dock still have a warm scene.
Originally, Xi Yazhou did not plan to stay in Foshan, but Minister Hong's plan was to use the local favorable conditions for metal smelting and processing to set up an ordnance factory in Foshan to provide ordnance repair and ammunition manufacturing for the Guangdong and Guangxi campaigns. I changed my mind and decided to visit Foshan.
The troops that arrived in Foshan early had already advanced westward. What greeted him on the dock was the squadron leader of the Foshan Squadron of the National Army. Foshan's status was unusual, so it also enjoyed county-level treatment and had a squadron of the National Army.
"Chief!" the squadron leader saluted excitedly, "Captain of the Foshan Squadron of the Guangdong Corps of the National Army, and Second Lieutenant of the National Army Cao Qing report to you!"
"Relax!" Xi Yazhou returned the salute, "Is the mayor here?"
"Not yet!" Cao Qing tried his best to straighten his back, "I received a notice and said it will arrive in the next few days!"