It was past eleven o'clock at night, but the whole headquarters was brightly lit. Those who had gone home from work in the evening were all called back to work overtime by phone. Those who did not have a phone used messengers. Xiang Xiaoqiang was so excited that he directly
Passed through the small door from the official residence and returned to the headquarters to sit down. Within ten minutes, several of his subordinates regrouped and held an emergency meeting in the large conference room.
A huge map of the Zhili and Shanxi areas of the Northern Qing Dynasty was released. Xiuxiu and Qiuqiu began to make marks one by one. One person was holding the information and reading it, and the other person was holding a triangle board and a compass to measure it.
For distance, press the small marker on the map.
A large circle of people has gathered around the map. Everyone's expression is different, some are nervous, some are excited, and some are indifferent: isn't it another riot in Beiqing, especially in places close to the mountains?
He is often rioting. Should he call us back from home for this crime?
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the wall clock. It was already eleven forty. According to the report sent by telegraph from the local Tiandihui branch, the riot started around nine o'clock in the evening. Two and a half hours have passed now.
He stared at the map and asked Xiuxiu:
"How far is the arsenal from the Taihang Mountains?"
Xiuxiu compared the picture with a compass, measured the numbers on the triangle board, glanced at the scale again, calculated mentally for two seconds, and blurted out:
"22 kilometers. 22 kilometers northwest will enter the mountainous area."
"Is it accurate? Don't make a mistake. Miscalculation may lead to death."
Xiu Xiu calculated it again and nodded. She asked Qiu Qiu to calculate it again. The two little girls calculated the same result, which was 22 kilometers.
"Zi Teng!"
"Yes!" He who had a stomachache pressed forward and stood at attention and replied.
Xiang Xiaoqiang squinted his eyes, stared at the map and asked:
"Where is the nearest garrison of the Qing army?"
"In Baoding."
Xiang Xiaoqiang was stunned: "In Baoding?!"
My stomach hurts and I quickly explain:
"Sir, it's like this. The Baoding garrison is divided into two parts. One is in Baoding City, but there are very few. They are mainly military police and some necessary security forces, less than a thousand people. The Baoding arsenal is in Mancheng County and Baoding.
Between the cities, about 16 to 17 kilometers away from Baoding City. The riot has been going on for more than two hours now, and the Qing army has not yet gone to suppress it.
"Sir, please think about it. There are two possibilities. One is that the telegraph and telephone lines in the arsenal have been cut off. It is up to the soldiers and police who were killed to escape back to Baoding to report. This is relatively slow. Even if you run for more than ten kilometers, you have to run.
An hour or so... So even if they had just arrived in Baoding to report, the military police in Baoding would not have time to set off. Another possibility is that the few garrison troops in Baoding did not dare to attack the thousands of people in the arsenal and were just dilly-dallying there. Especially
Thousands of people were better armed than the Qing army. The Qing army was very afraid of death."
Xiang Xiaoqiang was half relieved, at least there would be no threats within the two-hour journey. He waved his hand and asked:
"Is the information accurate?... Inaccuracy can lead to death."
My stomach hurt and I got goosebumps. I scratched my scalp, coughed and said:
"This is this week's regular information, the latest... I can guarantee that the Qing army had this arrangement three days ago... However, the Qing army in North China has not been mobilized for several years... If there is a temporary change,
The intelligence officer will also send it back temporarily."
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around at his subordinates and nodded. He knew that was about it. He had a stomachache, but he was trying to be cautious. After all, there were no mobile phones or the Internet in this era. If there was any information, spies would sneak into hiding.
somewhere, move out the bulky radio, and then send it back sneakily...
He asked again:
"Where is the other part of the Baoding garrison?"
Stomachache replied:
"Sir, it's right here! Recent information shows that the Qing army has three infantry divisions with 45,000 people. But there are no motorized troops."
He pointed at the map and almost pricked his finger. Qiu Qiu and Xiu Xiu had just put three little red thumbtacks on that place, representing the three divisions of the Qing army.
It was just east of Baoding City and south of Baiyangdian, in a place called Gaoyang County. Xiang Xiaoqiang and Xiuxiu calculated that the distance between this large group of people and the arsenal was 55 kilometers.
Well, the number of people is scary, but the distance brings a sense of security. It's 55 kilometers and requires a night's march.
"Going south from here," Stomachache pointed at Shijiazhuang in the south and Tianjin in the east. "There are five divisions stationed in Shijiazhuang. From there, there are ten divisions stationed in Tianjin. From these two places to the Baoding Arsenal,
It’s about 100 kilometers. However, there is a section of railway from Tianjin to Baoding, which can transport troops.”
Not bad, not bad... The garrison in Shijiazhuang can be ignored. It is 100 kilometers from Tianjin to Baoding, and the railway at this time takes two hours at the fastest. Considering the efficiency of the Qing army, the mobilization and weapons deployment in the middle of the night,
Form a team, rush to the train station, get on the train... at least another hour.
"Inform our intelligence agents in these places," Xiang Xiaoqiang ordered, "to report the movements of the local garrison at any time."
"yes!"
I summoned my subordinates because I had a stomachache, and after giving some instructions, the subordinates took the orders.
…
Now those workers are still delayed in the factory... But there is no way, they are not an army after all. They were a group of sheep a few hours ago. Even if they become lions now, they are still a ball of loose sand and cannot be as clean and neat as an army. They also know
, went up to the Taihang Mountains, and from now on they can only fight guerrillas in the valleys. They are short of food, clothing, guns and ammunition... They must do their best to collect weapons, food, medicine, daily necessities, and the most important -
Transportation.
Although they only have 20 kilometers into the mountains, these 20 kilometers are not that easy to walk. They have a lot of things, and they can't last for two days just by carrying each person with them. They have to collect all the transportation they can:
Cars, mules and horses, flatbed cars, tricycles, shoulder poles, carriers... However, their time is running out. They must set off within half an hour and enter the mountainous area within two hours.
"Keep in touch with them and keep urging them."
"Sir, I have been urging you..."
"Very good. Aren't there a lot of artillery shells there? Blow up the entire arsenal before letting them leave. If you can't blow up the factory, at least you have to blow up all the inventory and production equipment."
"yes."
"Well……"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked around at his subordinates. Now they were all busy, checking information and making phone calls... He patted the shoulder that hurt his stomach, held it aside, and asked quietly:
"Does Dongchang know about this riot now?"
Having a stomachache, he shook his head: "I don't know."
Xiang Xiaoqiang glared: "Don't they know or you don't know?"
"I have no idea."
Xiang Xiaoqiang patted the shoulder that hurt his stomach and said pleasantly:
"Go figure it out."
My stomach hurt and I broke out in a cold sweat, so I ran away quickly.
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang stared at the map, tapping his head lightly, thinking about what else should be done urgently. Suddenly, he ordered:
"Qiu Qiu, Xiu Xiu, you two should measure immediately how far it is from Dongjiang Fleet Airport to Baoding."
The two little girls came out in the blink of an eye, Qiu Qiu reported:
“450 kilometers!”
Xiang Xiaoqiang asked loudly again:
"What is the maximum range of the Kingfisher fighter? Xiuxiu, hurry up!"
Xiuxiu blurted out: "630 kilometers!"
The maximum range is 630 kilometers, so the maximum combat radius is 315 kilometers. In other words, Baoding and the foot of the Taihang Mountains have exceeded the combat radius of fighter jets. If airdrop support is to be provided to them, there will be no fighter escort.
"Where are our aircraft carriers?"
It is said that future generations of U.S. presidents like to ask this question the most. Whenever there is a war or coup in the world, and the U.S. president is woken up, after listening to the report, the first sentence he always asks is this.
Xiuxiu blurted out again:
"The Tianshu is on Pazia Island (note: that is Sumatra Island. For some reasons, it is now renamed Pazia Island. Please note that), Tianxuan, Tianji, and Tianquan are all in the East China Sea Fleet."
Xiang Xiaoqiang bounced the table hard and thought to himself why he didn't get one to go to the Dongjiang Fleet in the north.
"How long does it take for the aircraft carrier squadron to get from the East China Sea Fleet base to the Bohai Sea? If two aircraft carriers are dispatched?"
Qiu Qiu was stunned, tilted her head and just started to do mental arithmetic, when Xiu Xiu blurted out again:
"For 25 knots, 12 hours! Including mobilization preparation, it will not exceed 15 hours!"
"Very good!" Xiang Xiaoqiang pinched his chin, turned it around, and pointed at Qiu Qiu, "Qiu Qiu, find Commander Li of Lu Hang!"
"yes!"
"Xiuxiu," Xiang Xiaoqiang pointed to Xiuxiu again, "call the palace immediately and ask for Miss Zheng. She is also a night owl and won't sleep at this hour. Ask her if His Majesty has slept, and, Your Majesty
How are you feeling? If you can't sleep, try to get His Majesty to answer my call."
"yes!"
Really, it’s been almost a week since I returned to Daming. Zhu Yourong is like a tortoise eating a weight. She is determined not to see her. But it doesn’t matter, something big happened in the north. This matter is a major military matter, and she is a high official of the military state. She "
"Serve the country and the people" will also meet their own.
Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that in fact, Zhu Yourong was very eager to see herself. Now she needed an excuse to see herself. There is nothing more suitable than this.
If the Dongchang side didn't know about it, the effect would be even more perfect. Think about it, such a big thing happened in Beiqing. It was also an intelligence agency. The Dongchang was confused and unaware, and the People's Guard came to the palace immediately to report
, not only with detailed information, but also with detailed plans and plans.
High and low stand out.
Also, these thousands of well-armed workers are definitely a valuable force. The People's Guard must get ahead of the East Factory and capture them.