c_t; Zhang Xiaohuai, who was far away in Wuchang, soon received a telegram. --

Zhang Xiaohuai opened the telegram and frowned, it was the president who wanted him to immediately suspend all the affairs in his hands, get up and rush to Beijing, and all the military and political affairs in South China were temporarily taken over by Cai Yi and Lin Xu.

What's going on?

Zhang Xiaohuai is now in Wuchang, and is vigorously promoting the reform of the southern provinces, reducing the redundant personnel in the provinces, eliminating the mountain bandits in various places, and trying to stabilize the situation in the whole of South China in the shortest possible time.

However, now is the critical time for the reform of several southern provinces, and I am really unwilling to transfer myself back to Beijing all of a sudden, and let go of this mess in southern China.

However, before Zhang Xiaohuai could think about it, the second telegram urging Zhang Xiaohuai to go north had arrived again, and it seemed that this time he couldn't leave, and it must be that the president had encountered important affairs and needed to come forward himself.

Zhang Xiaohuai, a little tidying up the affairs in his hand, instructed the assistants below, waited for Cai Ye and Lin Xu to come to 'handover', and brought a guard himself, rode a fast horse, and galloped towards Beijing.

Beijing, got Li Hongzhang's strong recommendation, Zhang Yi naturally had a heart for Zhang Xiaohuai, and then thought of the beginning when Zhang Xiaohuai followed Li Hongzhang on the 'Mongolian' ancient plateau, in the face of the 'Mongolian' ancient princes and the forces of Tsarist Russia, the 'Mongolian' ancient princes and the forces of Tsarist Russia, although Li Hongzhang's credit is the greatest, but Zhang Xiaohuai's role in it cannot be underestimated.

Zhang Yi naturally sent two telegrams to Wuchang in succession, summoning Zhang Xiaohuai to come out to help.

Zhang Yi has not been idle for a moment in the past two days, and for nearly a year, Zhang Yi has not stayed in Beijing much, and has thrown all military and political affairs to Tang Shaoyi and others, although they are all first-class talents. But there are still some things that still need Zhang Yi to nod.

In the conference hall of the presidential palace, everyone was actively discussing domestic military and political affairs, and then Zhang Yi had to leave for three months, and when he came back, I was afraid that it would be the New Year.

Tang Shaoyi said in a deep voice: "Jianzhi, you have been gone for so long. Huai Jin stayed in Japan again, and you all left me with the affairs of Beijing. Even if they help me, an old man, I can't bear it. ”

Zhang Yi said with a smile: "Okay, Brother Shaochuan, I know you are working hard, next, there is no war in our country, and the rest of the things are much easier to do, concentrate on 'fine' strength." As for the army, we will maintain it like this for the first time, and then we will make changes when I come back. ”

Tang Shaoyi nodded, and Zhang Yi continued: "Zhiquan." ”

Duan Qirui hurriedly said, "President, what do you command?" ”

Zhang Yi said in a deep voice: "The War Department is ready to start recruiting in the south, and now it is absolutely impossible to have only Zhang Xiaohuai's 10th Division in the entire south. Although he is already expanding the army, he is only expanding the army within the scope of his responsibility, and it is inevitable that there will be some places that are not in place, and what I mean next is to form two group armies in the southeast and southwest directions, and reorganize the sixth group army in the southeast. The formation of the Seventh Group Army in the southwest, two commanders, a few of you can discuss it first, and wait until Huai Jin returns to the country before deciding, and in addition, a group army should be formed in the central part of the country, positioning the Eighth Group Army, and do not blindly seek speed. The skeleton is assembled first, and then the ...... is slowly expanded."

Expand three group armies and nine divisions in one go!

Everyone gasped, the president is still so generous, either don't move, or just read in place at one time;!

The corners of Tang Shaoyi's mouth twitched, but in the end he couldn't hold back, and shouted: "Jianzhi, Jianzhi!" You don't look at the current domestic situation, we have been fighting for a whole year, first with Yuan Shikai, and then with small Japan, until now the war has not completely ended, our finances have been well bottomed out, and after the war, the south will also carry out large-scale relief and construction, everywhere needs money, at this time you still have to expand the army? You still don't let me, the prime minister, live? ”

Liang Shiyi on the side smiled bitterly: "Prime Minister, it's not that Jianzhi won't let you live, he doesn't want me, the Minister of Finance, to live, the three group armies, oh my God, how much silver does it take this year to build it well?" ”

There was a sudden 'commotion' and 'chaos' in the hall, and they began to express their opinions one after another.

Zhang Yi said in a deep voice: "Everyone, not only to build the army, but also to expand our navy!" Now Zixiang is not here, but the plan to expand the navy, he has already done it, my plan is to add six more capital warships in the next three to five years, six, not much, hehe, in the future, we need to divide our fleet into two, with Taiwan as the demarcation, one to defend the southern part of the East China Sea and the entire South China Sea, and the other to defend the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the northern part of the East China Sea. Ladies and gentlemen, although we have defeated Japan, it does not mean that our country is safe, Xinjiang, Taiwan, the South China Sea, there are European powers watching, we can't be careless, not to mention that the Tsarist Russia in the north has been eyeing us, now the Trans-Siberian Railway has been built, once there is a war, it will be a big war with nearly a million troops, so we can't be cautious......"

Liang Qichao on the side replied: "Jianzhi, defend the country from aggression, we will support you at any time, but we can't be in a hurry, although these countries are wolf-like, but easily, they don't dare to start a war with us, after all, the current China is not the China that was slaughtered by the predecessors ten years ago, my opinion is still like that, we must ensure the development of our country's people's livelihood, especially education, without talent, everything is in vain, don't forget the bloody and tearful lessons of the Westernization Movement......"

Zhang Yi laughed and said: "Shaochuan, Zhuoru, don't scare me, do you think I don't know?" Although we have been fighting for a year, but the economy of the north has basically not suffered any damage, and now Japan's economy has been dragged down by us, we definitely don't have such a big problem, you must know that now Baotou, Heilongjiang, Fengtian three provinces are developing rapidly, only the income of these three provinces has far exceeded the Qing government of the year, this is not counting the development of Jin, Zhi, and Lu provinces in the past two years, to say that our finances are tight, but it is true, but it is impossible to open the pot! Rest assured that at any time, our education is in the midst of a heavy load, and this time I went to Europe for negotiations, I personally went to the opportunity to continue the big victory, and squeezed Japan's three liters of blood! Extort some money for our military expansion and come back! ”

...