Back to the Republic of China as a commander

Beijing, Zhongnanhai Jurentang, Yuan Shikai spent almost all night discussing with his staff the issue of military deployment for the crusade against King Cai's rebellion.But it wasn't until this time that Lao Yuan realized that the Beiyang Army he was proud of had been scattered over the vast southern land.You must know that this situation is a taboo for military strategists. Once you encounter the enemy's superior force, the possibility of being defeated by each one is very high.

The Beiyang division at this time was established by Yuan Shikai based on the establishment of the Japanese army. The division governed the brigade and the brigade governed the regiment. Each division had 1.8 to 2.5 people.5000-8000 people per brigade.

At this moment, there are seven divisions in the Beiyang lineage field troops:

Cai Chengxun, the commander of the first division (concurrently serving as the governor of Rehe), and his troops were stationed in Zhangjiakou;

Wang Zhanyuan, commander of the Second Division (concurrently serving as the governor of Hubei), the troops were stationed in Wuhan;

Cao Kun, the commander of the third division, was stationed in Yuezhou, Hunan (now Yueyang, Hunan);

Yang Shande, the commander of the Fourth Division (concurrently serving as the Songhu Army Envoy), and his troops were stationed in Shanghai;

Zhang Huaizhi, commander of the Fifth Division, was stationed in Zhenjiang;

Ma Jizeng, the commander of the Sixth Division, was stationed in Li County (historically, it was originally stationed in Nanchang, Jiangxi, because of butterflies...)

Zhang Jingyao, Commander of the Seventh Division, troops stationed in Beijing

In addition, there are troops such as Li Jincai's Gongwei Army and Lu Yongxiang's Tenth Division. Although these troops are also formed according to the formal organization, I'm sorry, they are all new troops. If they are pulled up to fight, they may not be able to compare with these seven direct line old troops.

Now there is a more serious problem facing Lao Yuan, that is, even in the south, the main force of the Beiyang Army is not in Hunan, Sichuan, these provinces facing rebellion, but is concentrated in the Nanjing area.For example, the Fourth Division, Fifth Division, Tenth Division, No.15 Division, and No.16 Division are all stationed in the Yangtze River Delta region at the moment.This presents a very difficult problem. Yuan Shikai didn't know what method to use to transfer these pampered places, and ran to the southwest to fight Cai E and Wang Zhenyu's rebels.You must know that you can get a lot of benefits by staying in Jiangsu and Zhejiang without moving. According to the habits of these soldiers and ruffians, the possibility of disobedience is quite high.

After Wang Shizhen, who is known as the head of the three heroes of Beiyang, told the situation, Yuan Shikai sighed silently. The past few years have been really difficult, and the central government has encountered many financial difficulties. Make money, but don't want to strengthen the arms.And what worries Yuan Shikai the most is that Feng Guozhang has not expressed any opinion on his proclaiming himself emperor. It is very likely that the army under his control will not be activated at all, but will firmly occupy the wealthy places such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai to sit and watch situation.If this is the case, Yuan Shikai felt that he might be in a tragedy.

But Yuan Shikai didn't dare to think badly at this moment. As the core, he had to maintain self-confidence and mystery, otherwise how could the people below have confidence.He pretended to smile and said: "Well, it doesn't look like a big problem. I think the focus of this battle is in Sichuan. As for Hunan, when Wang Zhenyu and his gang of mobs climb out of the valleys in Xiangxi and Guangxi, it is estimated that Cai E It's over. At that time, our China will truly be unified, and everyone will be able to enjoy peace."

Hearing what Lao Yuan said, all the high-level Beiyang executives present laughed easily and knowingly, but such hearty laughter could not dispel the haze in Yuan Shikai's heart.

Just when Beijing was busy dispatching troops and generals, eager to put down the rebellion.Wang Zhenyu, who has no awareness of the rebel leader, has been working continuously for more than ten hours in the large conference room of the General Staff.The large Siemens telegraph machine in the communication group next door kept beeping. From time to time, a staff member rushed in with a telegram and handed it to Chief of Staff Yang Wangui.

"Commander, Xu Yuanquan, the commander of the First Army, has reported that the troops of the First Army have arrived at the designated assembly point, and all the cargo ships of the Xiangxi Development Company Yuanjiang Shipping are also in place. He is asking you for instructions on the next action plan." Mr. Yang Wangui Report honestly.

Wang Zhenyu glanced at the sand table and said with a smile: "Let them act, pay attention to concealment. Also, ask Liu Xing of the Second Army, how far is their preparation work? The inside line from Beijing has sent a very important message Ma Jizeng's Sixth Division lost a brigade, and then Lao Yuan actually asked him to attack Changde, haha, it's a lot of fun now."

Yang Wangui also smiled and said: "According to the information provided by the military intelligence department, the Sixth Division itself is not fully manned, and the actual number of soldiers is less than 5000. This also allocates a team of 5000 people to follow into Sichuan to find Cai E and the others. Yes. Attacking Liu Xing’s 7-strong force with [-] men, and equipped with a large number of heavy equipment, is no different from asking Ma Jizeng to commit suicide.”

Wang Zhenyu nodded and said: "I'm not worried about the Hunan battlefield. The Beiyang Army only has such a small force. Cai E is also well-known, and the impression we gave Lao Yuan is that there are very limited troops in a remote country. Otherwise, they would not come from here. Ma Jizeng sent troops here to attack Changde, and even pointed at these 5000 people to take down the whole of Xiangxi. If it is true that more than 2 Beiyang troops are nested in Li County, I’m afraid it’s really true if we want to take it down The only thing is that it will take a lot of trouble. Now it’s all right, they came out on their own initiative, Liu Xing is going to make a fortune this time. And the third division has also been transferred, Changsha is basically an empty city, and what we really need to guard against at that time is probably Cheng Qian and Lin Xiumei from Shonan."

Yang Wangui also echoed with a smile on his face: "What the commander-in-chief said is true, there is indeed nothing wrong with Hunan. It's just that I have a question about whether it is appropriate for a division of the First Army to undertake the attack mission in the Baoqing area. They are the ones to contact, this is not only a military battle but also a political one, this person is very important."

Wang Zhenyu stood up with his hands behind his back and said: "Let Tao Zhiyue lead the troops. After much deliberation, he is the most suitable one. Where is their first division now?"

Yang Wangui looked at the sand table and said: "The assembly has been completed in Jingzhou. According to the original battle plan, they will board the ship after the battle in Changde, and then divide into two groups, going straight to Suining and the entrance of the cave."

Wang Zhenyu nodded: "Let Yang Yongtai go with Tao Zhiyue. If Secretary-General Yang is on this errand, there will be no deviation. I am most worried about Guangxi. Although it is not a tough battle with Long Jiguang, but But be careful, Sun Wen and the others have been operating in Guangdong for many years, and let Delin and Jiansheng cheer up, don't play until the end and get Long Jiguang to make wedding dresses for others."