As December enters, the weather begins to take a turn for the worse.
On December 1st and 2nd, Shaanxi and northern Shanxi ushered in the first heavy snowfall. For two consecutive days, the sky was gloomy during the day, and the dark clouds were thick and dense, weighing down like lead. Northwest
The wind was so fierce that it felt like cutting flesh on the face. The air was cold and heavy in the lungs. At night, there was heavy snow, and with the icy wind, the snow on the ground could accumulate up to half a meter thick in one night.
The first snow in the northwest came too suddenly, and the Ming army's left army group was not fully prepared. They had insufficient troops, the supply line was too long, there was no railway for more than half of the journey, and there were not enough cars, so they were unable to move forward.
Advance. Now, the left army group is in garrison status.
However, the second phase of the blitzkrieg lasted only a few days. The Ming army in Shanxi advanced from the south of Taiyuan to the north of Datong, and then advanced nearly 300 kilometers north. There was no time to build winter barracks. The Ming army south of Taiyuan
The troops basically live in winter
There were barracks, but most of the soldiers north of Taiyuan still slept in tents. The thin tents could not withstand the cold wind at all, and the sleeping bags were of little use. The officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were all from the south and had experienced such severe cold.
For a time, a large number of soldiers fell ill.
Fortunately, there are mountains everywhere in Shanxi, and there is no shortage of wood. In the past two days, the "main work" of the Zuolu Ming Army during the day was to go up the mountain to cut down trees and build winter barracks. The big trees were used to build shacks, that is, winter barracks, and the small trees were used to grow crops.
Fire for warmth. Quartermaster opened fire every day
He drove the truck around, going to nearby cities, counties, and mines to get coal, and brought it back to warm the fire for the troops. Fortunately, Shanxi is rich in coal. Because of the war, a large amount of coal this winter has not been shipped out, and it is still hoarded by the monopolist run by the former Beiqing government.
in hand.
All the coal in the hands of the officials and merchants of the Northern Qing Dynasty was requisitioned by the Ming army. In addition to being used for heating the troops, the remaining large amounts of coal were used to exchange supplies with the local people. It stands to reason that a large amount of coal from Shanxi would have to be transported back to the south.
The coal output in the south is small, the industry is developed, the coal consumption is large, and self-production is not enough. But now the transportation capacity is insufficient, and the limited vehicles are used to transport military supplies.
Here are: thick winter clothes, quilts and blankets, medicines, vegetables and fruits that are lacking in the north... As for coal, it can only be left in Shanxi now. It is not bad to use it as a "general equivalent", which can be exchanged for other materials in the north.
For example, quilts, blankets, corn, sorghum, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, radishes, apples, etc. This can also solve some supplies on the spot and save some transportation capacity.
…
The eastern battlefield was slightly luckier, but not so lucky.
There is not as much snow in the east as in the west, but the temperature is about to reach a new low. The clouds are pressing all day long, but the wind is not as strong as the northwest. What’s worse is that starting from the 2nd, Henan, Northern Anhui, and Northern Jiangsu will
It started to rain lightly in the area.
It rains all year round, but the least annoying thing is spring rain. "Spring rain is as precious as oil", it lasts only as long as it lasts, and every time it rains, it becomes warmer and less annoying.
Next is the summer rain. The summer rain is thunderous, crisp, hearty, short-lived, and it feels much cooler immediately after the rain stops.
Autumn rain comes again. Autumn rain is very annoying. It doesn’t stop at once. It rains continuously and endlessly, making people feel depressed and making things moldy.
The most unbearable thing is the winter rain. Although the winter rain is not as continuous as the autumn rain, it makes the already bad weather in winter even worse. It is so wet and cold that no matter how thick you wear it, you will not feel warm.
I just want to hide in the house all day and hold the stove to keep warm.
Now, what the Ming Army's right group is encountering is the most uncomfortable winter rain. The cold light rain keeps falling, and the rainwater flows along the helmets, onto the face, neck, and along the raincoat all over the body. The soldiers are shivering with cold.
Holding the cold gun with pale fingers, he trudged through the muddy fields and headed west in the rain to attack Xuzhou.
In this kind of weather, there is no air support at all. On the ground, because of the rain, the traffic situation is a mess. There is not much asphalt on the roads in Beiqing, and the quality is extremely poor. When it rains, the road surface will form a
It's a big puddle. It's okay, it's a puddle. What's worse is that some secondary dirt roads not only have pits, but they are also full of mud pits, and there are more, and new ones will be dug out from time to time.
The Ming army's heavy trucks and heavy artillery drove on these dirt roads. Each time a truck passed by, the ruts on the dirt road would become deeper. When several trucks passed by one after another, the road surface was no longer ruts, but deep ditches.
.Thick mud soup was mixed in these ditches, and it was impossible to tell which was water and which was mud. All vehicles and the lower sections of artillery were covered with thick mud, and the original color could not be seen at all.
Tanks and tracked vehicles are okay. Although they are driving in the fields, they are not affected much, except that the specific fuel consumption is slightly higher. However, although wheeled vehicles are driving on the road, they still often get stuck in mud pits. Sometimes they can
If it cannot be driven out, the car in front will have to drag it out. The overall marching speed will be affected.
At this time, the most enviable and happiest people were the soldiers sitting in the military cards. The military cards were covered with oil canvas at this time, and a class of soldiers sat inside, squeezing each other, which was very comfortable.
Very warm. The most unlucky ones were the soldiers in the semi-motorized infantry division.
, they have to march on foot in the mud. Almost as unlucky as them are the infantry in armored vehicles. Although they do not need to walk through the mud, their armored vehicles are open, and the rain still pours on them. Moreover,
Because I was sitting still, it was even colder and biting.
…
Although rain is not conducive to the Ming army's attack, it is also not conducive to the Qing army's defense. The haze and rain curtains greatly reduce visibility, and the effect of artillery observation is much worse; the guns are wetted by the rain, their operability is affected, and malfunctions occur frequently.
Also, in cold and humid air, especially in the rain, the straight line of the ballistic trajectory is also affected to a certain extent, making it less accurate than usual.
These are all technical factors. The biggest impact on the Qing army's combat effectiveness is low morale. The trenches of the Qing army have become mud pits, and each soldier's feet have been soaked in the cold mud for a long time. Moreover, the Qing army does not
Like the Ming army, every soldier has a raincoat. In the Qing army, generally only officers have raincoats. Most of the soldiers eat, sleep, and defecate in the rain.
This is true for both sides. The humidity, cold and mud brought by the winter rain made the armies of both the Ming and Qing Dynasties extremely frustrated. The battle was fought with no passion at all. The Ming army attacked mechanically, and the Qing army defended mechanically. Both sides
The soldiers all hope that the war will cease today and go home. Needless to say, the Qing army did not want to fight in the first place. The heroic ambitions of the Ming army soldiers in sunny days and their passion to "recover the whole of China and liberate the suffering compatriots" are now also
Cold rain has fallen on Java.
The key is that the Ming army did not have air cover, and the battle was much more difficult than before. In the past, when the weather was good, not to mention air cover, the Ming army could know where the Qing army was and how many troops it had from hundreds of kilometers away.
What are they doing and how are they being mobilized? Now, it's all a blur. In this sense, both sides are equal. The Ming army also relies more on motorized reconnaissance.
By the end of November, the Ming army had controlled the area east of Suqian and Luoma Lake and south of Ganyu County, mainly Haizhou, Donghai County, Xinyi County, Guanyun County, and Shuyang County. On December 1,
The attack in the rain for two days on the 2nd made slow progress, and only advanced 20 kilometers westward in two days. Suining County was just captured on the afternoon of the 2nd, which can be regarded as some substantial results.
After taking Suining, the Ming army's frontline was still 80 kilometers away from Xuzhou. The offensive resistance became stronger. The Qing army's defensive power became stronger almost every kilometer, and the resistance became more intense. The Ming army's offensive speed also became slower and slower.
It seems to be difficult again.
…
On the afternoon of the 3rd, Shi Shigege received an invitation letter from Miss Asakura Sako, her high school classmate in Japan. Asakura Sako said that she had joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. Now she has just
I came to Daming and have just settled in. I want to invite Shi Shigege to have dinner and have a good chat with old classmates.
After Shi Shi Gege received the invitation, her eyes narrowed and her mind started spinning.
That guy Asakura Sako, although she was in the same class with her in high school, they were not good friends. They only had a normal relationship, they just knew each other. She studied well and was a typical good girl from a rich family. After graduation, she entered Tokyo University——
Of course, it is Japan's "Eastern University" - Tokyo Imperial University. But unlike the Ming Dynasty, most Japanese girls only go to middle school, and very few go to college. Most of them are just to get rich and marry a good family. They come out to do it.
There are even fewer things.
Why, it seems that she didn't find a rich man to marry in school, but she entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? She was also sent to Nanjing? How is it such a coincidence?
It is impossible for Asakura Sako not to know who she is and what her status is. But he, an "old classmate" who had no friendship with her back then, dared to write a post inviting her to have dinner together?...Haha, this is not the obedient person she is.
Women can do it.
…
After Shi Shi Ge Ge came to Ming Dynasty and took up important positions in the People's Guards, Ming Dynasty's intelligence on Japan gradually became the best in the People's Guard. This is the innate advantage of Shi Shi Ge Ge. She can no longer be described as a "Japan expert"
Because of her unique experience, no one in the entire Ming Dynasty can compare with her. Now, the center of the Japanese intelligence network has gradually shifted from the Dongchang to the People's Guard.
The military attachés of the Ming Dynasty's embassy in Japan used to be dispatched by the Jin Yiwei, but now they are dispatched by the People's Guard. Both the Ming Dynasty and Japan have a national structure where the cabinet and the military are parallel, and the military is relatively independent. Therefore, in the diplomatic team, the military attache is
One is particularly important. The ambassador represents the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the military attaché represents the military.
The Fourteenth Princess has become the actual official person in charge of the "attendees" diplomacy of both sides. The Japanese military is also more willing to deal with the Fourteenth Princess. After all, the Fourteenth Princess has been trained by them. In addition to becoming more familiar with each other, using
The Japanese military attache in Ming Dynasty said, "There is also a kind of relationship between mother's family and daughter."
As for the Japanese military attaché stationed in Ming Dynasty, Shi Shi Ge Ge was also very familiar with him. When he was in Japan, Shi Shi Ge Ge had heard of his name for a long time.
Shi Shigege looked at the invitation in her hand, thought about it for a while, smiled slightly, and without telling anyone, she directly ordered her subordinates to choose a few gifts, arrange a car in the evening, and go to the house of her old classmate as a guest.
…
That night, the fourteen-gege convoy drove directly from the headquarters and arrived at Baixia District. The driver followed the address on the invitation letter and stopped in front of a small independent garden house.
Behind them, the People's Guardsmen jumped out of the truck and quickly guarded the surrounding area. They stood in two rows in front of the fence gate of the bungalow, holding submachine guns in their hands and looking intently.
Fourteen was wrapped in a cloak, stepped out of the bulletproof car with one foot, and stared at the garden house. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he was already thinking about it.
——What position does Asakura hold in the embassy? Ambassador? At most, she is a secretary. For a secretary, how could the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arrange such a good house for her?
Fourteen girls' personal maids have already stepped forward to ring the bell.
The bell rang twice, and the door opened. Miss Asakura, dressed in a dress, personally greeted her. She saw Shi Shi Ge Ge from a distance, and came forward with a smile. She put her hands on her knees, bowed, and greeted Shi Shi affectionately.
Si Gege also exchanged friendly greetings and bowed in return.
Under Asakura's smiling expression, he couldn't hide a trace of nervousness, especially after seeing Shi Shigege's coquettish style.
"There's no way," Shi Shigege had noticed her nervousness, shook her head, held hands and smiled affectionately, "Beijing always wants my head."
"Ah, hehe, hehehe..."
Asakura smiled and became even more nervous.
This is the effect that Fourteen Gege wants.
Entering the foyer, turned a corner, the living room was brightly lit, and the fireplace was blazing. There were already several male and female guests inside, all of whom seemed to be Japanese. The men were either in suits or military uniforms with swords, and the women were either in kimonos or evening dresses.
Dress. Several people were joking and chatting. A young lady was sitting at the piano in front of the fireplace, playing music smoothly. There was a glass of champagne on the piano.
"Princess, please let me help you get your coat."
Asakura Sakura's words with a smile immediately stopped the piano playing. Several guests stood up at the same time, holding champagne, and turned to look at her. They were all a little surprised.
Shishi Gege took off her cloak and handed it to Asakura, revealing the dress underneath. She looked around everyone with a smile, and was immediately a little surprised.
His former intelligence teacher, the newly appointed Japanese military attaché in Ming Dynasty, was actually there.
"Ah, Your Highness the Princess."
This Japanese Army lieutenant general in his fifties had a pair of small eyes that shone confidently and wisely, and a mustache under his big nose. He put down the champagne, walked forward quickly with a smile, bent down and bowed slightly, and then followed the instructions
Li took off his gloves, carefully held Shifeng Gege's hand, and kissed it gently:
"It is a great honor for us to have Your Highness the Princess condescend to come here."
Fourteen Gege also smiled and said:
"Mr. Doihara, you are so polite. I listened to your lectures at the military headquarters and had the honor to witness your grace. Unexpectedly, we would meet again in Nanjing a few years later."