The warships plying the Tsushima Strait in recent days, the continuous use of large numbers of Japanese troops on the Korean Peninsula, and the accelerated concentration of Japanese expatriates returning home have attracted Beijing's attention. Guangwu is studying various newly sent intelligence every day, and slowly
He gradually pieced together these pieces of intelligence, gradually presenting a very terrifying prospect, constantly confirming the terrifying thought in his mind:
——Japan wants to take advantage of the situation! It wants to attack the Qing Dynasty!
For many years, Japan's mainland policy has been to support the Qing and suppress the Ming. The Beiqing also received a lot of help from Japan, such as designing new aircraft for it: Haidong Qing, Wuyun, and sending consultants and instructors to help the Beiqing train its troops. The Qing army
The most elite Eight Banners Division and Imperial Guard Division are all Japanese
They were trained. For example, they sent engineers and technicians to help the Northern Qing Dynasty build railways and develop minerals. Of course, Japan benefited a lot from this, but the heavy industry of the Northern Qing Dynasty also made great progress. Even Guangwu usurped the throne and became the emperor.
Japan's strong support is indispensable.
Despite this, Hirotake does not trust Japan very much. He is always on guard against Japan intentionally or unintentionally. He can feel the ambitions of the Japanese team in East Asia, and Hirotake is very aware of this.
Especially when Japan was ready to move, the Soviet Union in the northwest was also sending more troops to the border. Guangwu even doubted whether the Soviet Union and Japan had reached some tacit understanding, or even a secret agreement. However, the Soviet Union was better, and the most action it could take was in the northwest. That way
At most, if it loses some land, it will not directly threaten its own political power. And Japan is too dangerous, just close to Beijing and Tianjin.
Just after New Year's Day, Guangwu asked the Foreign Minister to find the Japanese ambassador and directly ask Japan what it wanted to do and what it wanted to do.
The Japanese ambassador looked worried.
"Your Excellency, Minister," he sighed, "Logically speaking, this is related to our country's intelligence secrets... But since you asked about it, I can reveal... Our country's security situation in Northeast Asia, North Asia and Central Asia,
Very worried... Moreover, our country is also very worried about North Korea's security... The Soviet Union seems to be taking action.
"Needless to say, your country is now in a difficult moment... and the Soviet Union seems to be preparing to take advantage of the situation. Our country has to strengthen its vigilance to protect our interests in Northeast Asia and the safety of our nationals... Our government allows me to ask you
At this time, I would like to explain a little bit... I feel it is my duty to remind your country that we must strengthen our alert in the north and northwest... especially in the northwest."
…
After hearing the report from the Foreign Minister, Guangwu didn't believe this rhetoric at all. Japan said that it was increasing troops on the border to guard against the Soviet Union, because the Soviet Union was increasing its troops. He knew that if he asked the Soviet ambassador, the answer he would get would be the same: Soviet Union
The increase in troops is to guard against Japan, because Japan is increasing its troops.
This is an obvious “chicken or egg” trap.
Guangwu began to take measures. On the one hand, he ordered widespread conscription again. On the other hand, he ordered those Henan soldiers, Shanxi soldiers, Shaanxi soldiers, Anhui soldiers, and Jiangsu soldiers who had withdrawn from the southern battlefield, that is, those soldiers who were liberated by the Ming army because their hometowns were
The soldiers who were withdrawn, about 500,000, were temporarily formed into 30 divisions and added to the Northern Corps. This is called "making the best use of everything". The original strength of the Northern Corps was 1.2 million, but now it has increased to 1.7 million.
At the same time, he concentrated the originally dispersed northern corps to the south, and transferred half of the divisions originally deployed on the Soviet-Qing border, that is, Heilongjiang and eastern Outer Mongolia, to the north of North Korea. In this way, the Qing army in the direction of North Korea reached
800,000, how many?
It has almost reached a density of one division every ten kilometers. Moreover, the strength of Heilongjiang in the north and eastern Outer Mongolia has been very limited. It still maintains 900,000 troops. At least in terms of strength, it far exceeds the Soviet Union's "Post-Baikal Lake" and "Far East".
A border defense military region.
…
The Ming and Qing battlefields on the southern front were still tepid.
The Ming army surrounded the Xuzhou garrison but did not attack. They just kept dropping leaflets to persuade them to surrender. At the same time, they sent a fleet of planes to the north every day to bomb the Qing army in Shandong. The Ming army in Shanxi was even more motionless, building winter barracks and hauling coal every day.
, the convoys at the rear are also shuttled and transported every day, and fuel, ammunition and various military supplies are constantly being stocked, as if they are gathering strength.
Despite this, Guangwu's focus is still on the south. He is almost certain that tomorrow, Japan, and the Soviet Union have reached a tacit agreement to attack him together. Now that the Ming army has stopped to take a breath and wait, this is the best proof. It is waiting.
Japan or the Soviet Union would take action first, and when all the Qing troops were attracted to the north, they could easily move northward.
However, Guangwu did not intend to let Nan Ming succeed at all. The Qing army's advantage of "not lacking in people" was fully demonstrated at this time. The Qing army's strength on the southern front did not decrease at all, but its strength on the northern front increased by 500,000. At the same time,
In just ten days in early January, each
The number of registered recruits in Dixin has reached 200,000. They are now undergoing short-term training in the new barracks. This is after the Beiqing lost several major military source provinces. If several major military source provinces are still in hand,
This number must be almost ten times.
…
The Japanese fleet also began to frequently appear in the Yellow Sea, cruising on the north and south sides of the Shandong Peninsula, and getting closer and closer to the mainland. In the past, Japanese warships often patrolled in the Yellow Sea, but most of them were destroyers, and at most they were cruisers.
.And most of them are single-ship cruises, and at most two ships are traveling together.
Since 1937, a large Japanese fleet has appeared in the Yellow Sea. On January 10, the Ming Army's naval reconnaissance aircraft discovered a Japanese battleship formation for the first time in the Yellow Sea.
One "Fuso-class" battleship, two "Furutaka-class" heavy cruisers, two "Kuma-class" light cruisers, three "Usharu-class" ships, four "Fubuki-class" ships, and seven "Suizuki-class" ships in total
Under the escort of fourteen first-class destroyers, they cut through the waves and cruised vigorously.
The Ming army's reconnaissance planes followed until two days later, watching the fleet return to Japan.
On the 13th, another Japanese battleship formation was discovered in the Yellow Sea. This time it was even larger. The main ships were two "King Kong-class" battleships, two "Myo-senior" heavy cruisers, and three "Nagara-class" light cruisers.
And escorted by twelve destroyers, they cruised carelessly on the Yellow Sea.
…
In the central command hall of the headquarters, Xiang Xiaoqiang stood under the large map, raising his head and holding his chin, staring at the warship logo with a small sun flag on the Yellow Sea. After a while, two young female officers pushed
Get the tripod over, climb up and use the long pole to hold the warship to move it.
"We are almost reaching the East China Sea," Xiang Xiaoqiang said expressionlessly, "Should we make any statement?"
Next to him, Chief of the Navy General Staff Xiong Dingming also pinched his chin and said:
"Let's see. Let's go to the East China Sea. Theoretically, the southern part of the Yellow Sea is now our territorial waters. Have we reached there on land after all? But... we still have to wait and see whether the Japanese fleet dares to enter the East China Sea.