Crimson Dawn

On October 1918, 10, the news of Hanzhong's loss made Duan Qirui finally understand what it means to be besieged on all sides.Within two months, Xu Shuzheng was first captured and then mutinied.Suiyuan Province was lost, and Hanzhong was taken by the People's Party.Similar to his previous hostile experience with the People's Party, Duan Qirui was already struggling before he showed his strength.The People's Party, which occupies Shan County, has assembled heavily and is eyeing it like a tiger.If we mobilize troops to retake Hanzhong or Suiyuan at this time, let alone whether it can be done.First of all, the troops guarding Tongguan will be weakened, and Xi'an will also have to play an empty city plan.If Tongguan is captured by the People's Party, the gate of Shaanxi will be completely opened.Duan Qirui was not arrogant enough to think that he still had the slightest chance of winning at this time.

If it confronts the People's Party in Tongguan, the result will be to allow the People's Party to wreak havoc elsewhere.Now that Suiyuan has been defeated, other areas are completely unstable.After a large number of former Beiyang people defected to the People's Party, some people also sent Duan Qirui correspondence with good intentions or other intentions, so this time Duan Qirui has a clear understanding of the fact that the People's Party did not go south after occupying Suiyuan.The goal of the People's Party is not Duan Qirui, but Outer Mongolia and Xinjiang.Instead of using troops in Guanzhong, where the roads are difficult, it is more convenient to take the Beijing-Zhangjiakou line and the Beijing-Suizhou line, which is likely to be opened to traffic within half a year.

The People's Party still occupies the national righteousness this time. As long as it can successfully regain the old territory, any attack by Duan Qirui on the People's Party in the process will be enough to nail Duan Qirui to the pillar of shame in history.Duan Qirui could never escape the reputation of this traitor.Even if Duan Qirui stands still, after the People's Party completes its strategic goals, it can easily kill Duan Qirui when it comes back.After the People's Party has wiped out Duan Qirui, it's just a matter of lifting Duan Qirui's name as a traitor.

At this time, Duan Qirui deeply regretted that he did not listen to Wang Shizhen's advice two months ago. If he was willing to negotiate with the People's Party at that time, even if he could not get the initiative, at least he would have more opportunities.Like the Beiyang era, Duan Qirui stubbornly believed that the goal of the People's Party was the Northwest, to start a civil war, but he did not expect that the People's Party was going to target Russia.It is to start a foreign war.

The People's Party relied on the Germans who attacked Qingdao and the Japanese who attacked the Northeast.Through the victory of foreign wars, it quickly gained the support of public opinion.Even the literati who are most opposed to the People's Party only dare to question the People's Party's domestic policies at most, and dare not mention the People's Party's external wars at all.The reason why a large number of people who are quite dissatisfied with the People's Party are afraid or unwilling to oppose the People's Party is also because the People's Party has repeatedly won foreign wars.

Now even Duan Qirui's hardcore Xu Shuzheng has surrendered to the People's Party. As a traitor, he even has the title of "Uprising General".It's as if Xu Shuzheng has been wearing a pair of pants with the People's Party.This is too ridiculous.

Duan Qirui began to seriously consider Wang Shizhen's suggestion, at least to conduct political negotiations with the People's Party first.As long as political negotiations start, at least there will be no military conflict between the two sides for the time being.With Yuan Shikai's lessons learned, it is really too difficult for Duan Qirui to make up his mind.

After agreeing to federal self-government that year, the People's Party immediately took over.The period of peace did give Beiyang a chance to cultivate and thrive. However, compared with the violent expansion of the People's Party, this peace can even be said to be an enemy.Now that the People's Party is so strong, it has inserted its hands into the Northwest.Duan Qirui firmly believes that even if peace can be temporarily reached this time, when this peace ends, it will be the time when the People's Party will seize the whole of China.

After more than ten years of fighting with the People's Party, Duan Qirui felt for the first time that he really couldn't hold on anymore.

No matter what he thinks in his heart, Duan Qirui has to remain calm on the outside at least. Whenever a subordinate tries to talk to Duan Qirui about this matter, Duan Qirui will be stern and not allow the subordinate to continue talking.Duan Qirui knew very well that his subordinates followed him for the sake of prosperity and wealth, and before the end of the world, these people would abandon Duan Qirui without hesitation.This is also an important reason why Duan Qirui refused to accept Wang Shizhen's suggestion.

The room leak happened to be raining overnight, and while Duan Qirui was meditating, Wu Peifu strode into Duan Qirui's office with an anxious look on his face, "Prime Minister Duan, Tongguan reported that dozens of brothers took advantage of the darkness yesterday Went to the People's Party."

Duan Qirui did not dare to proclaim himself president, but became the prime minister himself.No one else dared to be the president, so Duan Qirui led the Northwest as the prime minister.

Before Duan Qirui could reply, Wu Peifu continued: "Commander Tongguan asked us for military pay again!"

Duan Qirui shot out his eyes full of anger, as if he wanted to penetrate the distance between Xi'an and Tongguan, and burn that incompetent commander to death.In the past month, soldiers have fled to the People's Party almost every day.The commander of the Tongguan garrison had no choice but to spend money. He just watched helplessly as people ran away every day.

But the anger was only for a moment, Duan Qirui stood up and started pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.The treasury in Xi'an has bottomed out, and there is no money at all.The Chamber of Commerce in Shanxi was almost blackmailed by Duan Qirui, and all available financial resources have been completely exhausted.If there is no money to pay the army, and then use strict military discipline, it will only stir up mutiny.

After walking for a long time, Duan Qirui said to Wu Peifu, "Go find Sun Yongsheng."

Wu Peifu was taken aback. Sun Yongsheng was Chen Ke's "uncle". After He Qian's death, Sun Yongsheng and Chen Ke had no relatives.But this former kinship still made Sun Yongsheng quite embarrassed in the Beiyang Army.However, since Sun Yongsheng was able to follow Duan Qirui to Shanxi, this has already shown his loyalty to Beiyang.Moreover, it is meaningless to kill Sun Yongsheng, so Duan Qirui arranged a job for Sun Yongsheng.In such a desperate situation, Duan Qirui called for Sun Yongsheng.Wu Peifu already felt a disturbing smell.However, Wu Peifu did not refuse the order, but went out after a simple salute.

After Duan Qirui walked around a few more times, he stopped in front of the map.Up to now, he, the prime minister of the cabinet, still nominally controls Shaanxi, Shanxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet and other provinces, but only in name.Ningxia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang have long been independent from each other and are completely controlled by the local warlords.Tibet Province has never had any official contact with Duan Qirui.As long as Duan Qirui loses Shanxi and Shaanxi, he will be finished.

Sun Yongsheng came quickly, and when he entered, Duan Qirui was still standing quietly in front of the map.Duan Qirui is not fat, he has been worrying about it day and night these days, and his figure has lost a lot of weight.Looking at Duan Qirui's thin back, Sun Yongsheng only felt an inexplicable sadness.After Yuan Shikai's death, Beiyang's Beijing government was overthrown, and the golden age of Beiyang was over.More than two years later, the People's Party has advanced step by step, and everyone in Beiyang feels the panic before the end of the day.

At present, it is Duan Qirui who can unite the Beiyang Army and allow this group to barely exist.Wu Peifu told Sun Yongsheng that when Duan Qirui asked Sun Yongsheng to go over, Sun Yongsheng was indeed uneasy.

"Yongsheng, sit down." Duan Qirui turned around while talking.

Sun Yongsheng didn't dare to disobey the order, but he only dared to sit on the stool with half his buttocks.

Duan Qirui sat back in his seat, and then slowly said to Sun Yongsheng: "Yongsheng, I want you to pass a message to the People's Party."

These words made Sun Yongsheng's body stiffen immediately, and Sun Yongsheng felt uncomfortable when he mentioned the People's Party. He said dryly, "I don't know what Prime Minister Duan asked the humble officer to say."

"I want to have peace talks with them." Duan Qirui finally said the last thing he wanted to say.

"This..., we have so many people in Beiyang, we can send anyone." Sun Yongsheng's heart beat fast. As a middle-level officer, even a middle-level officer with an embarrassing position, Sun Yongsheng knew the current situation of Beiyang.Many military officers who didn't want to have much contact with Sun Yongsheng have recently begun to invite Sun Yongsheng to drink frequently.Although the only place I can go is to eat mutton soup, meals of this level in Beijing can only be called eating, but in Xi'an it is already a very "high-end" pastime.

When eating together, many people also mentioned Sun Yongsheng's identity. Now it is not a kind of ridicule, but envy from the bottom of their hearts.Thanks to Beiyang's propaganda and the People's Party's own political propaganda.Whether you are talking or listening, you know that the People's Party is not a political organization that implements "one person wins the Tao and the chicken dog ascends to heaven".The reason why he said this was only because Sun Yongsheng still had a way out.The Beiyang Army who followed Duan Qirui to the northwest were all promoted, but they were far from making a fortune.The reason why everyone didn't break up was because they didn't know where to make a living after they broke up.

The people below are extremely confused about the future, but Duan Qirui, who is at the top, is actually going to "negotiate peace" with the People's Party. Sun Yongsheng is full of strong anxiety at this time.

"Peace talks are not about surrender. I want Shanxi and Shaanxi to maintain inter-provincial autonomy." Duan Qirui explained, but his voice was not so confident.

"I still think it's inappropriate to go to a humble job." Sun Yongsheng still didn't want to get involved in this muddy water.

Duan Qirui straightened his face, "Yongsheng, I just let you go. Now there are so many brothers who feel uneasy. As long as you can go and come back, everyone will naturally have confidence. In fact, for so long, I I have always believed in you. At this time, you are the most suitable person to send a message to the BJP."

Sun Yongsheng also knew that Duan Qirui was good to him, and hearing what Duan Qirui meant, it was impossible to refuse.Sun Yongsheng stood up, "The Prime Minister ordered the humble official to go, and the humble official will go. This trip will definitely not disappoint the Prime Minister's expectations."

"That's right!" Duan Qirui said to Sun Yongsheng in an encouraging tone.

Although the news that Sun Yongsheng wanted to communicate with the People's Party was regarded as "confidential information", given the current level of Duan Qirui's organization, this secret could not be kept for long at all.Before Sun Yongsheng set off, several groups of people approached Sun Yongsheng privately for information.After finally dismissing these people, Sun Yongsheng embarked on the journey under the protection of a group of guards.

The journey is not long, starting from Xi'an and ending in Shan County.As a messenger rather than a negotiator, Sun Yongsheng only needs to go back and forth.Arriving at Tongguan, when passing outside the barracks, Sun Yongsheng's only feeling was that his heart was cold.Logically speaking, Tongguan at this time should have been heavily guarded and full of an atmosphere of war.However, although there are many armies, there are many barracks.But it gives people a deserted feeling.It seems that there is nothing in Tongguan except the barracks.There were no soldiers to be seen, no noise of drills to be heard.

Some of the defenders in charge of Tongguan knew Sun Yongsheng, and they looked at Sun Yongsheng with surprise.If it wasn't for the fact that Sun Yongsheng was surrounded by many people, they would have come up to ask questions at this moment.Sun Yongsheng saw that the complexions of these gatekeepers were not very good, and his attitude was more casual.It seems that this is not a battlefield at all.Judging from the military point of view, needless to say, the fierce People's Party, if the hostile party is Sun Yongsheng, he would dare to lead troops to charge forward boldly.Judging from the situation in front of him, Sun Yongsheng felt that the Beiyang Army in Yuan Shikai's era had at least an [-]% chance of winning against the current Beiyang Army.

After leaving Tongguan and arriving in Shan County, Sun Yongsheng immediately felt a familiar feeling of the army.Those queues, those soldiers, are all full of vigor.As for those barbed wire fences, wooden fences, and tall watchtowers, looking at them made Sun Yongsheng lose the idea of ​​​​attacking.If there is no strong firepower to destroy these military facilities, how many people who come up will die.

The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army treated the envoys with the same rigor and courtesy. They asked Sun Yongsheng's purpose of coming, received the letters and documents from Sun Yongsheng, and arranged for Sun Yongsheng and the others to stay.The next afternoon, Sun Yongsheng was invited to talk.

"If the Northwest and Tibet can formally recognize the leadership of the central government, accept the officials sent by the central government, and gradually adopt a unified judicial and administrative system in various places, accept the military reorganization of the central government, and obey the central government's upcoming military operations. Order, we can accept the peace talks." Commander Tongguan said.

Sun Yongsheng was thinking about these conditions in his heart, which sounded like surrender no matter what.He didn't dare to promise anything, but simply said: "Is there any official document for your request?"

Commander Tongguan pushed the document made of several sheets of paper to Sun Yongsheng, "All our requirements are on it. You can take it back and show it to Duan Qirui."

As a messenger, your job is to deliver the message.After receiving the reply from the People's Party, Sun Yongsheng returned immediately.Tongguan Pass is still guarded by those people, watching Sun Yongsheng and others come back unexpectedly.There was a bit of enthusiasm in their eyes besides astonishment.Sun Yongsheng even heard someone shouting to others: "Old Sun is back! Old Sun is back! I won the bet!"

It seems that these people are really afraid that I will run away.Sun Yongsheng thought helplessly.Could it be that I, Sun Yongsheng, are so bad at being a human being.

But after thinking about it, Duan Qirui himself said that as long as Sun Yongsheng can come back after leaving, the Beiyang brothers will have confidence.In the end, Sun Yongsheng did not choose to defect to the People's Party, so what are the others anxious about?

Sun Yongsheng felt quite sad that Beiyang had to use such a method to stimulate the morale of the army.He is back now. If he really goes to the People's Party and doesn't come back, what will happen to the Beiyang Army?