Today's three watches...... Xuzhou's entry into the hands of the Northern Expeditionary Army without a fight actually caused unprecedented huge fluctuations, which greatly surprised the expectations of Wu Peifu, the former commander-in-chief of the Northern Army. After all, when the Northern Army gave up Nanjing and Wuchang, which could become the national capital, some time ago, the reaction of all sides was calm, and the Nationalist Government did not make a big fuss about the news of the seizure of Nanjing and Wuchang, let alone brazenly advertise the great victory of Nanjing and Wuchang.

This time, however, the Nationalist Government suddenly ignored the facts and began to boast with a shy face that their "heroic Northern Expedition soldiers" braved the bullets and bullets of the Beiyang warlords to fight bravely and conquer Xuzhou, an important town in the Central Plains.

On the publicly announced battle report, the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army even opened its eyes and told nonsense, declaring that their Northern Expeditionary Army bragged about the first place with the 231st under the city of Xuzhou, and even frantically begged for a monthly ticket The main force of the Beiyang Army fought for ten days! After paying the price of more than 30,000 casualties, he broke the main force of the Northern Army and defeated Xuzhou! In this battle, as many as 100,000 officers and soldiers were killed, wounded and captured in the North, which was the biggest victory since the beginning of the Northern Expedition!

After the bragging, of course, there will be a series of celebrations, press conferences, commendation meetings, military parades, and so on. There were also some war correspondents who had been authorized by the Northern Expeditionary Army Headquarters to go deep into the front line of Xuzhou, which had just "experienced a big war". A large number of "battlefield photos" were taken, as well as photographs of the cemetery of the Northern Army and the prisoners of war of the Northern Army who were imprisoned. These reporters also conducted exclusive interviews with some so-called combat heroes, and some foreign reporters were said to have interviewed prisoners of the Northern Army without permission, exposing some scandals of the abuse of prisoners by the Northern Expeditionary Army, which of course the Northern Expeditionary Army Command flatly denied

In short, whether hearing is false, or seeing is believing. The press and public opinion in the north and south completely believe in this imaginary victory in Xuzhou! And in this era, there is no news control here in Beiyang (there is one in the Nationalist Government). Basically no one cares what the newspaper wants to write, so all kinds of news about the victory of Xuzhou and the 231st Beiyang Championship bragging about the failure of the first and even more frantically seeking a monthly ticket are all on the front pages of newspapers of all sizes.

The pro-Nationalist newspapers were counting in cheerful tones the time of the victory of the Nationalist Revolution. The pro-Beiyang newspapers were one-sided, all attacking Wu Peifu, the former commander-in-chief of the Beiyang Army, who was defeated and misled the country! Some public opinion even turned over Wu Peifu's old accounts in the Hunan Council incident, and openly and secretly accused him of being a G spy! It was GCD's spies who broke into Beiyang, and Beiyang fell to the point where it is now, all of which were caused by him. Now if Beiyang wants to save the situation, he must first kill Wu Peifu to correct discipline!

As for Beiyang, in the face of such false reports and news, there is no better way than to issue a few telegrams to refute rumors. After all, in the war. Both warring sides cover up defeats and exaggerate victories when they publicize them to the outside world. Therefore, the most effective way for outsiders to judge victory or defeat is to do so. It also depends on the gains and losses of the territory. Beiyang lost almost half of China in just a few months, and it is a bit ridiculous to say that it did not lose the war. Therefore, people from all walks of life now unanimously believe in the lie of the "Xuzhou Victory", but there is only a little disagreement about whether the losses of the Beiyang Army are 50,000 or 100,000.

At last. Even Xu Shuzheng, who is currently in charge of the Beiyang system, suspected that the Beiyang Army had really suffered a defeat, and at the end of January, he left Beijing to inspect the headquarters of the First Front Army of the Northern Army, which had been moved to Zhengzhou, Henan.

"Zhong Shuai, Brother Ziyu, on the one hand, all the military departments are still complete, right?" Xu Shuzheng stepped off the train, and as soon as he saw Cao Kun and Wu Peifu who came to greet him, he couldn't wait to inquire about the losses of the troops. After asking this, he set his eyes on Cao Kun, which probably meant that he wanted this first honest man in Beiyang to answer, right? ”

"Youzheng, why do you ask that? Did our army go to war with the Southern Army? You, the Supreme Consul, would not know? ”

Cao Da has been being questioned by people from all walks of life for the past two days, and he has become a little impatient, and now when he heard Xu Shuzheng ask the same question, he naturally complained: "What kind of battle is this?" If you don't fire a shot, you won't have half of China, if you want to say that we didn't lose the war, who would believe it? ”

Hearing Cao Kun say this, Xu Shuzheng sighed softly. It seems that the "Xuzhou Victory" is really blown out by Chang Ruiqing's kid! He barely squeezed out some smiles and said to Cao Kun: "Zhong Shuai, don't complain, we have lost half of China, don't we have half of it left?" If we had left our troops in the south, you and I would have gone home to eat rice. ”

Although Cao Kun has the nickname of "Three Fools", he is indeed more honest (compared to those in high positions). But his honesty is by no means stupid, and a fool can't be a patrol envoy of the three provinces. He pulled Xu Shuzheng with one hand and Wu Peifu with the other to a Western carriage parked on the platform.

As soon as the car door closed, he sighed: "You Zheng, Ziyu, I know what you think, don't fight with them for the gains and losses of a city and a place, look for an opportunity to destroy the living force of the Southern Army." But this territory has been lost a lot, and the hearts of the people below are even more floating, don't underestimate the danger of this person's heart being shaken, and think about how the Qing Dynasty did not get it back then? Isn't it because this man's heart has been lost? Now the south is anti-imperialist, anti-Russian, and nationalist, and the following dolls and some poor scholars have long been bewitched, and those who follow us in Beiyang are all wallgrass, just look at the wind over there. Although our rule in Beiyang is more in their interests, once they feel that we have gone over, they will still fight back. At that time, we will become a guest army, and the southern soldiers will become the main army! ”

When Cao Kun said this, Xu Shuzheng and Wu Peifu were silent. This is true, Wu Peifu's idea of fighting a sports war is very good, but the premise of dealing with the Southern Army in the Central Plains is to gain the support of local forces! In particular, the landlords of Shandong and Henan provinces are armed, and the landlords of these two provinces are much stronger than the landlords in the south, and they are all half-gentry and half-bandits, and some of the ancestors have been bandits for several generations. Once these "gentry" forces fall to the Nationalist Government in large numbers, the Beiyang Army will immediately become unable to move an inch in Henan and Shandong, and will not be able to move at all!

"That's what I'm here for." Xu Shuzheng pondered for a while. Finally mentioned his intention. He was embarrassed to say that he came to Henan to see if the Beiyang Army had suffered defeat. So I brought the topic to a few powerful factions in the north.

"Yan Xishan and Liu Zhenhua, the two old foxes, are now openly resisting our Beiyang orders! The representative sent to Taiyuan by the base camp wanted to see Yan Xishan, but he couldn't do it, so he was asked to concurrently serve as the commander of Suiyuan. And the order to transfer the first brigade of Jin troops to garrison Suiyuan was also ignored. It seems that this Yan Xishan is ready to take refuge in the south! As for Liu Zhenhua of the Song Army in Zhenxi, he refused to lead troops to aid Shaanxi, and concentrated the main forces in Ruyang and Linru, posing a posture of threatening Nanyang, I am afraid that he has also colluded with the south! ”

Cao Kun smiled bitterly, and his eyes swept over Xu Shuzheng and Wu Peifu in the carriage: "Except for me, an honest person, who else doesn't find a way back for himself now?" During this period of time, there were no less than twenty or thirty letters sent from the south that were intercepted by the Military Justice Department of our First Front Army Headquarters! I'm afraid everyone below the division commanders and brigade commanders have one! Speaking of this, he sighed heavily: "Youzheng, Ziyu, it can't go on like this." We must fight a good battle with the southern soldiers. Boost morale, or sooner or later you will be defeated without a fight! ”

Xu Shuzheng nodded slightly and set his eyes on Wu Peifu. Wu Peifu's pair of flying eyebrows were tightly twisted, as if he was thinking hard: "It's time to find a way to fight, but you can't fight hard." Our forces are too weak to fight with them, or we will fall into the hands of Chang Ruiqing! We must find a way to disperse Chang Ruiqing's troops, and it is best to bring one or two troops out of Xuzhou! There's a way! ”

"What's the solution?" Cao Kun and Xu Shuzheng spoke almost at the same time. Wu Peifu smiled heavily and spit out three words: "Hit Shanxi...... The province of Shanxi is probably the most stable and calm province in China in this turbulent era. In addition to making a lot of trouble in the year of the Xinhai Revolution, he also once let the Beiyang Army enter the provincial capital Taiyuan. However, after the Republic of China, under the leadership of their slippery Yan Laoxi, this province was actually like a forest in this army. In the war-torn era, the situation of peace has been maintained, and it seems to be a paradise-like place.

If it weren't for looking at the problem with red-stained glasses, Yan Xishan would actually be a good person, and there would be no other big shortcomings except for being reactionary. Moreover, the reactionary nature of this great reactionary is not very different from that of other reactionaries of this era. People have really studied Marxism and feel that the truth is wrong, so they have embarked on the road of no return against G and the people.

At this moment, the northern and southern armies are setting up battlefields in the Central Plains, preparing to fight a decisive battle that will determine China's future and fate. Yan Xishan, the "peace overseer" of Shanxi, was in his supervision office and Comrade Li Dazhao, who had come north to lobby him to join China's GCD, to discuss and study Marxism!

The place where the two of them studied Marxism together was in the study of Yan Xishan's Overseer Office. Yan Laoxi did not wear much military uniforms in his supervision office, but wore a robe and horse coat, a melon skin hat, and his dough-like face, and the whole thing was a rich man in Shanxi. In fact, his ancestors were indeed the ticket number, and he himself was also good at economics, if he didn't work as a warlord, he would definitely be a successful Jin merchant.

Sitting across from him was Li Dazhao, dressed as a scholar, who had come to Taiyuan with a tycoon who ran a business in Taigu, Shanxi Province, and a Kuomintang infiltrator named Kong Xiangxi. Both of them came to persuade Yan Xishan to participate in the National Revolution, and Li Dazhao also spread GCISM to Yan Xishan by the way, but after chatting a few times, he found out that Yan Xishan's understanding of GCISM theory was not under Li Dazhao! It is estimated that people have long been familiar with the Japanese version of Marxist works (many of the early Kuomintang reactionaries have read them). It's just that this Yan Xishan probably didn't really read through the theories of Marxism, and actually thought that GCISM might not necessarily come! It's so reactionary!

Today, he chatted with Li Dazhao for a few words, and then began to spread reactionary remarks, and he said in an official dialect with a Shanxi accent: "Mr. Shouchang, my view is still like that, the truth of GC doctrine is good, but those truths are all justified and nothing to do, and capitalism does not necessarily inevitably collapse, although the capitalist system is the exploitation of man by man, and it should be opposed." Overthrow it, so capitalism is time to collapse. And not necessarily collapsed. It's two different things.

As for GCISM, it is not necessarily inevitable. I can't say it's impossible, but I can't see when it's possible. GC doctrine says that everyone does what he can, takes what he needs, and sets a system, so that everyone can work regardless of how much they want, and whether they are good or bad in enjoyment. It is difficult to do what you can; Each takes what he needs, and it is very risky to take what he needs. GCISM has its own reasons but nothing to do, and if it is forced, it will bring disaster to mankind. ”

A look of disappointment flashed on Li Dazhao's face. But in an instant, it turned into a smile like a spring breeze: "General Baichuan." Whether GC Doctrine can succeed or not depends on the future. However, at present, the shape of the revolution in China is obvious, the national revolution is about to win in the whole country, and no one can fight this general trend, and the leader of the Northern Expeditionary Army is marching all the way. It is none other than General Chang Yaoru, a member of the Central Bureau of our Chinese GCD! If General Baichuan joins GCD now, then you and General Chang are comrades, and General Chang will definitely take care of it when the Jin Army is reorganized in the future. ”

Hearing this, Yan Xishan's expression did not move. Similar words, Kong Xiangxi has already told him again, but he just changed the GCD to the Kuomintang and Chang Ruiqing into Sun Yat-sen! It is clear that now this national g cooperates with the national government. It's not as united as it seems on the surface, and there are undercurrents surging inside! However, Yan Xishan did not intend to take sides when the situation was unclear, and now Sun Chang's two factions are almost evenly matched, and Sun Yat-sen is victorious in his deep foundation and high prestige. And Chang Ruiqing's advantage is that he holds a gun in his hand, and he leans against the big tree of Soviet Russia behind his back, and he is also higher than Sun Yat-sen in intrigue and political skills.

I am afraid that the wrestling between these two people and the two parties will not be visible in a short period of time. Shanxi is located in the north. Far from the core territory of their national government, it is very much beyond the reach of the whip. If he Yan Xishan does not express his position, Sun Chang and his faction will have the spare strength to suppress him for the time being, but they will compete to win him over as the king of Shanxi. If you take a stand now, I'm afraid you won't get much benefit, but there is a 50% chance that you will be wearing small shoes in the future because you are on the wrong line!

After thinking clearly about the stakes, Yan Xishan still shook his head in embarrassment: "Mr. Shouchang, this person just likes to be more serious, if he joins GCD, he must be a loyal GC warrior!" In order to realize the ideal, we must throw our heads and spill blood, and we will not hesitate to do so! But if you want to mix in GCD for your own selfish interests, in order to gain benefits when the Jin army is adapted, it will never work! Eh, it's not that kind of person, I believe GCD is not that kind of party, right? ”

When he said this, of course, he looked righteous and strict. Li Dazhao was fooled by him, and he believed seven or eight points, and even a little ashamed that although the other party had not yet agreed to join GCD, this spirit of seriously studying Marxism and joining after understanding it is worthy of affirmation! It is precisely such comrades that China's GCD needs, not some big warlord who does not want to understand what GCISM is at all, and wants to use this signboard to wrestle with Sun Yat-sen!

Li Dazhao smiled and said: "General Baichuan, of course I am also in favor of thinking like this, since you want to believe in a doctrine, you should first figure out its theory, this is very good." However, the matter of joining the GCD can wait, and the matter of participating in the national revolution requires the general to express his position immediately. At present, the Northern Expeditionary Army of our Nationalist Government has reached Xuzhou, and it has also dealt a heavy blow to the main force of the Beiyang Army! Now that the national revolution has swept the whole world, it is believed that it will not be long before it will be victorious throughout the country. If Shanxi had not participated in the revolution until that time, would it have been a little late? When the time comes, it is difficult to say whether General Baichuan will be able to maintain the position of the leader of Shanxi! ”

Li Dazhao's voice fell, and Yan Xishan smiled slightly: "I know about the Northern Expeditionary Army's defeat of Xuzhou, but I don't know about the heavy damage to the main force of the Beiyang Army." Mr. Moritsune, I won't tell you the truth, I was a member of the League as early as when I was studying military affairs in Japan. However, Shanxi is under the nose of Beiyang, and the Jin army does not have much strength, so it can only welcome Beiyang. In fact, the whole and Jin armies have been waiting for Mr. Sun's Northern Expeditionary Army! But now is not yet the time for the Jin army to participate in the Northern Expedition. The idea is this, when the main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the Beiyang Army really fight, the Jin Army suddenly announced that it would participate in the revolution, send troops to Zhili, disrupt the rear of Beiyang, and deal them a fatal blow! ”

These words are also eloquent, and it is indeed the case in Li Dazhao's ears, but I don't know if Sun Yat-sen and Chang Ruiqing can accept such a plan. Just as he was about to get up and end today's meeting and say goodbye to Yan Xishan, Zhao Daiwen, the general staff of the Jin army, suddenly pushed open the door and walked into Yan Xishan's office with a panicked expression. Seeing that Li Dazhao was also there, Zhao Daiwen hurriedly squeezed out a little smile, nodded at Li Dazhao, and then walked to Yan Xishan's side and handed over something that seemed to be a telegraph.

Yan Xishan took the telegram and read it at a glance, his face suddenly changed greatly, he stood up suddenly, and said in a lost voice: "What? Beiyang wants to hit Shanxi? How is this possible? (Your support is my biggest motivation.) )rv！！！