Restarting life in Siheyuan

"How many soldiers are there in the defeated army now? What's the situation of the Southern Army? What's the news from the other armies?"

Zhu Xuefeng thought for a while and finally asked, in theory the autonomous region should not get involved, the good development situation cannot be dragged into this quagmire, but the defeated army is of the same origin as everyone else, watching it being annihilated is not in the interest of the autonomous region, only three legs can combine strength.

Besides, could it be that all these actions of the other party were just smokescreens, with the intention of repairing the plank road in the open and attacking Chencang in secret? Or, could it be that they first cleaned up the defeated army and then suddenly attacked the autonomous region? With such a large battle, it is not impossible. After repeated consideration, Zhu Xuefeng still made up his mind that he must intervene. The autonomous region tried its best not to be eliminated, and he had to secretly help the situation.

"After the Southern Army recruited more soldiers, it has surpassed its previous maximum strength, now it is 40,000 to 50,000. I heard that half of them are left to guard against us, and the rest are used to clean up the enemy."

Song Yan remembered the information very clearly and could tell it all at once. He was in charge of the military affairs of the autonomous region and had been following the progress of this matter.

"That's quite courageous. What about other aspects?" Zhu Xuefeng could only express his admiration for the courage of the Southern Army. This was undoubtedly a temporary solution, killing all the laying hens just to fight this battle. Even if they won, the whole country would be devastated and desolate. What could the South rely on to hold on and fight against the autonomous region?

"According to the intelligence brought by the defeated army, it seems that there are about 3,000 troops. It is said that the total force of the cleanup operation is more than 30,000."

"That's quite a few. How many of them are there?"

"They claim to have 6,000 troops, but in fact they have less than 5,000. The remaining 2,000 are new recruits. The most important thing is that they have been beaten by us twice and are now even short of weapons. That's why they have no choice but to come to our door."

The situation of the defeated army seems to be very difficult indeed. Also, after being beaten twice by the autonomous region, they should be much weaker than in history. After repeatedly considering the comparison of strength in this encirclement and suppression, Zhu Xuefeng is still very puzzled about Asan's movements.

"There's one thing I don't understand!"

"This Asan should be cut off by us now. How did their troops reach the battlefield?"

"You're talking about this. I know that." Li Xiaojun explained proudly.

"The Ah San went there by sea, just a few days ago. They wanted to go along the coast, but they ran into our fleet during a practice. They thought we were the navy of the Southern Army, so they called on us to let them pass through via the radio. As a result, we chased them away and they ended up going to the open sea. We were surprised at the time why their navy came here, but later we learned that they were here to deal with the defeated army."

"How many ships did they dispatch?"

"Two troop transports and two small frigates, each should have a displacement of less than one thousand tons."

Zhu Xuefeng understood now that the Indians had always regarded themselves as the big brother in this area. It was probably this complacency that made them reach some kind of agreement with the Southern Army. They actually relied on troop transports to transport 3,000 armed personnel by sea. That meant they didn't have any heavy equipment, at least tanks. The two troop transports could only fit 3,000 armed personnel at best.

"Commander, do you want us to send out the navy to attack their ships?"

Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng did not express his opinion for a long time and not daring to look back, Li Xiaojun asked while driving. He thought he had thought of what the leader was thinking.

"There's no declaration of war yet, so why would we launch a sneak attack? They're not provoking us right now."

Song Yan retorted to Li Xiaojun, saying that this guy is afraid of not having a war to fight and wants to take action whenever there is a chance. He is a typical warmonger.

The situation is now basically clear. Although the balance of power is not very detailed, it should not be too far from the estimate. Zhu Xuefeng once again considered whether there were any hidden dangers in his own strategy. Seeing that Li Xiaojun wanted to fight again, he spoke without even raising his head.

"Let me think about it first and drive your car carefully." Li Xiaojun, who was about to interrupt, had to shut up and drive at ease. Song Yan also waited quietly for Zhu Xuefeng's decision.

Zhu Xuefeng opened his eyes after a while. "Call Lao Yang over tonight and let's discuss it together. After all, we are compatriots. It would be unreasonable to watch them being chopped and chopped by others without giving them a hand."

Seeing that Zhu Xuefeng had set the tone, Li Xiaojun shouted excitedly.

"Old Song, I'll tell you what I'm saying. The chief will definitely agree. Now we have work to do."

He seemed to feel that it was inappropriate to yell in front of Zhu Xuefeng, so he quickly said with a smile.

"Commander, don't blame me for yelling. There are actually many situations waiting for you to make a decision. Commander Song is only interested in stability. With such a good opportunity, he has been hesitant."

"Say less, you must be holding it in. I'm reporting everything to the leader." Song Yan criticized Li Xiaojun.

"It's okay, go on. I'm not here most of the time, so it's difficult for us to communicate intelligence. I don't blame you."

It turns out that the situation in the south is very bad. Several regions close to the autonomous region have secretly contacted us and expressed their willingness to join the autonomous region. They said that they were really scared by the policies of the Southern Army in the past two years, and they also learned that the autonomous region is thriving. After this comparison, many regions have begun to consider joining the autonomous region.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Southern Army has no way to deal with the autonomous region, but they don't understand and are still levying heavy taxes and levying heavy fines, struggling unwillingly. With this kind of overall view, it is no wonder that they have such good resources but have been labeled as the least developed region and have persisted in this title for many years.

"Oh, this information is very important. What else?"

"Chief, let's not talk about anything else. Song Yan didn't dare to agree to any of these areas. How disappointing! I remember you said that as long as the autonomous region is well built, we can conquer these areas in the future without spending a single soldier. Isn't this without spending a single soldier? In the end, he just didn't dare to take the land that was delivered to him. Isn't it infuriating?"

"Deputy Commander Li, please be aware of your identity. Do you understand who you are talking to?"

Song Yan's face flushed, veins on his forehead bulged, and he whispered a warning, and Li Xiaojun had to shut up.

"It's okay, let him talk. Xiaojun, be careful in other situations in the future and don't question Commander Song's decisions."

Zhu Xuefeng stopped Song Yan. There was no one else here. It was good enough that Li Xiaojun could hold back until now. He was a militant man who always wanted to expand his territory.

"Commander, I'm sorry. Actually, I never questioned him outside. I only complained to you now that you are here."

Looking at a shady area at the foot of a mountain not far away, Zhu Xuefeng pointed.

"Xiaojun, drive over, let's stop and talk. Don't get excited or you'll lead us into a ditch."

Li Xiaojun was a little embarrassed. "Commander, why don't we talk about it when we get to the camp? We'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Obey orders. When we get to the base, there will be many people talking. Will you still speak? As long as Lao Yang comes over, you won't be able to speak."

Li Xiaojun was very pleased with Zhu Xuefeng's stick and explanation, and he stopped obediently under the shade of the tree. The jeep following behind also stopped quickly, and several soldiers quickly set up guards, showing that they were well-trained.

"Li Xin, tell them to stay further away." Li Xiaojun ordered loudly, and a dark and thin man immediately led people to guard farther away. Zhu Xuefeng looked at the dark and thin man and turned his head to ask. "I seem to have some impression of this person. He seems to be the one who performed very well in the last closed forest training."

"The commander has a really good memory. It's him. His name is A Xin. Now he has the same last name as me, Li Xin."

"He's a good soldier, well trained, tell me about it."

The original capital in the south now has less than half its population. Some rich people were confiscated, causing countless people to flee with their families. Now after large-scale conscription, more residents choose to flee. Now all industries are declining and people are in panic.

"Commander, that's why I wanted him to reorganize the troops. Let's go all out and drive them directly to the southernmost part to save these people from the dire situation. Don't you think so? What a great opportunity."

Zhu Xuefeng smiled, and seeing that Li Xiaojun became a little embarrassed, he said with a smile.

"I know you want to make us stronger, but you've forgotten the reason why we first set foot on this land. It's easy to say that saving them from danger is as simple as you think. We can just send troops to take over. But have you ever thought that the south is different from the north. There are all kinds of forces intertwined and complicated. Do you really think that sending troops will make people follow you?"

"But, Chief, they have made it clear that as long as we take over, they will all join the autonomous region. Facing our guns, no one should lie, right?"

Li Xiaojun was still struggling. Zhu Xuefeng glanced at Song Yan, and Song Yan understood what he meant.

"The Southern Army has been unable to do anything to us. Regardless of whether they are luring us into a trap, they are all in power. I cannot agree to their request to retain their rights."

Seeing that Li Xiaojun was still about to retort, Song Yan continued, "Think carefully, the social structure in the south is not as simple as in the north. It is not as simple as dealing with a few leaders. They have a complete exploiting class. Tell me, how can I agree to this under such conditions?"

Li Xiaojun was speechless for a moment, and hesitantly said, "Why don't you tell me these reasons normally?"

Song Yan ignored him and continued talking about his own things.

"You forgot what the commander reminded us when we first came here, to try not to expand to the south. You thought it was just to avoid being exposed too early. Now that we have the strength, it doesn't matter. The commander also said that if we want to take over that place, we can only overthrow all the old forces and build a new world. How could you forget that?"

Li Xiaojun was still a little unconvinced, "Hasn't there been peaceful uprisings in our country? There was one in Beijing back then. Why can't it happen here?"

"You know that this is China. We are of the same race and we know each other well, so it's easy for us to communicate. How can it be the same here? There are multiple ethnic groups mixed together. You haven't even overthrown the ruling class, and you still protect their rights. Why should the people accept us? If we can't get the support of the masses, how can we manage this area? You know, the south is much richer than the north. A few canned meats won't make the masses follow us."

Li Xiaojun scratched his head and admitted that he was convinced. "These things are too complicated. Forget it. I didn't think it through."

"Then let's go. Send me to rest first. Tell Lao Yang to come to my place to discuss this in the evening. There are some things that need to be considered carefully."

"Yes!" Li Xiaojun stood up again with great energy, asked the guards to withdraw, and after getting on the car again, the convoy continued to move towards Mandele City.

There is an ancient imperial palace in Mandele. According to Yang Maosheng's suggestion, he wanted to transform it into Zhu Xuefeng's residence. According to him, only His Highness is worthy of living here. However, Zhu Xuefeng refused. He did not like that style and did not want to be so ostentatious. He just chose a larger courtyard in the urban area as a temporary residence.

After entering the yard, I found that the place was well kept. Apart from the guards and service personnel, there was no one else.

"Commander, Xia Ligong just finished his military training, and was taken away by Miss Yan Zi for special training. He is not here for the time being. Li Xin and his team will be responsible for the security of this courtyard. You can call him if you have anything."

"Got it. Go get busy. Leave a helicopter for me tomorrow. Don't bother me. I have some things to do in the next two days."

Li Xiaojun hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Do you need to take them with you?" Then he pointed at Li Xin and the others.

Zhu Xuefeng hesitated for a moment, considering that some people might not know him and that some things might cause unnecessary trouble.

"Okay, keep it. In the next two days, find out the details of these four forces. Got it?"

"Yes!"

The two men saluted and turned to leave. Seeing Song Yan leaving, Zhu Xuefeng thought for a moment and quietly issued a few orders to Song Yan.

After resting for a while, Zhu Xuefeng, who changed into military uniform, brought two jeeps to revisit the museum. Song Yan had already given a temporary order to leave guards outside to guard. Zhu Xuefeng went to the underground warehouse alone to unload the goods. Countless treasures were packed in boxes, almost filling up the entire underground secret room. The space in the secret room was still a little small, so they could only be piled together and stacked as neatly as possible. After a long time of hard work, he finally got it done.

It was already dark outside, and I guess they should have reached their own yards, so I had no choice but to return first and deal with other things tomorrow.

"Commander, should we go back?"

"Well, let's go. By the way, your name is Li Xin, right?"

"Yes, Chief."

After getting in the car, the bored Zhu Xuefeng started chatting with the guard captain Li Xin. From him, he learned about the huge impact that the changes in the past three years have had on the grassroots people. The grassroots people are now strongly supportive and full of confidence in the future of the autonomous region.

"You are right. The autonomous region is to ensure that everyone can get rewards as long as they work hard, and can live a good life as long as they work hard."

When they returned to the compound, not only Lao Yang but also Zhou Xingguo came. Only Zhou Dayong remained on duty in the command room.

"Commander, I heard you were back, so I followed you here to see you. You can't chase me away."

When Zhou Xingguo met Zhu Xuefeng, he hurried to explain. Looking at Li Xiaojun who was making faces at the same time, Zhu Xuefeng understood that this guy was dragged in by Li Xiaojun to help out. Both of them, like Li Xiaojun, had always supported the expansion.

"Who yelled at you? You haven't eaten yet, Xiaojun? Go ask if dinner is ready. If it's ready, let's eat together. We can talk while we eat today."

"Yes." Li Xiaojun smiled and agreed after hearing the arrangement.

In the bright restaurant, Zhu Xuefeng was discussing with several people who actually hold power in the autonomous region. The atmosphere was relatively relaxed.

Zhu Xuefeng just listened to everyone's opinions and has already indicated that the autonomous region will also stir up the muddy waters this time, and asked about the current material reserves of the autonomous region. (End of this chapter)