"Selling newspapers, selling newspapers, Sun Zhongshan crossed to Japan in the east, causing the Kuomintang army to mutiny and disperse!"

"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers, Wang Haoshan, the marshal of the Sichuan Army, entered Nanjing, and the era of the Southern People's Party came to an end!"

"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers, the elite of the first division of the Sichuan Army will continue to advance eastward, and the generals will come to Shanghai soon!"

……

In the streets and alleys of the Shanghai Concession, you can see newsboys everywhere holding newspapers high in their small hands, shouting and selling them loudly.

Today's Shanghai, except for the tranquility in the concession, has long been a mess outside the lease.

Shanghai is China's most important window to the Western powers, greatly influenced by the Western trend of thought, the idea of democracy and republic is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people here, and because of the protection of the concession, it has been a gathering place for the Kuomintang since the Qing Dynasty.

After the news of Nanjing's breach by the Sichuan army reached Shanghai, a large number of KMT members chose to go east to Japan again and continue to follow their leader Sun Yat-sen.

As for Chen Qimei, who held the military power in Shanghai, he was even more ruthless, he knew very well that Shanghai could not be defended at all, so he simply did not consider the matter of defending Shanghai, but frantically searched Shanghai, intending to make a big profit before leaving.

No one dared to mess around inside the concession, but outside the concession there was chaos, full of soldiers and ruffians who took advantage of the fire to attack.

Mr. Le Beau, the French consul in Shanghai, and Lord Kent, the British consul in Shanghai, jointly issued an invitation to bring together the leading foreigners in the Shanghai concession to discuss how to deal with the entry of the Sichuan army into Shanghai.

The conference hall of the Bureau of the Ministry of Industry in the French Concession of Shanghai was full of consuls, ministers, army and navy officers, and directors of the Ministry of Industry Bureau of various countries in Shanghai at this time. All of them wore suits and leather shoes, or eye-catching military uniforms, and gathered in twos and threes with wine glasses to discuss the Sichuan army that swept through southern China.

Since the day Wang Mo led the Sichuan army out of Sichuan, the great powers of all countries have felt the tough posture of the Sichuan army exuding from their bones. The Wang family father and son were not as weak and deceitful as the Manchu court, nor were they respectful and humble to the Western civilized world like the Beiyang Group and the KMT.

Although the war in Europe is now in full swing, and the most concerned countries are about the war situation in Europe, it is for those cabinet officials and parliamentarians at home. Those of them who serve in the Far East have not taken their eyes off the changes in the situation in the Far East for a moment.

In the largest country in the Far East, a warlord so tough on the outside world is rapidly emerging. This is not good news for all of them.

While everyone was talking, the door of the council chamber was pushed open, and the French Consul in Shanghai, Mr. Le Beau, and the British Consul in Shanghai, Lord Kent, walked in side by side, and all eyes were on them.

Mr. Loeb said in a loud voice in French: "I've kept you waiting. I would like to express my sincerest apologies to all of you. ”

French is the lingua franca of the European upper class, and most of the people present can understand it, and they have spoken out to show that they don't care.

"Please take a seat." Mr. Loeb then beckoned the group to sit down.

After everyone was seated, Lord Kent, who had been keeping a cold face, finally spoke: "I think you all know that the Sichuan army has captured Nanjing. and sent a division to march quickly towards the Shanghai side. ”

The tall Russian consul in Shanghai smiled nonchalantly: "Whether it is the Kuomintang or the Sichuan Army, I think this is a matter for the Chinese, and it has nothing to do with all of us here, we just need to ensure the safety of our expatriates and maintain order in the concession." ”

Compared to the Western powers, Russia's interests in southern China were the least, if not negligible, and the Russian consuls naturally did not care much about who ruled southern China.

Kent felt sick to his stomach when he looked at the Russian consul's big pie face, and he held back the disgust in his heart, and continued: "The father and son of the Wang family. In particular, Wang Mo, the young marshal of the Sichuan army, is definitely an extreme nationalist. This young warlord was arrogant and unreasonable, and very hostile to the Western civilized world. After he took control of Hubei, he immediately set up a river customs on the Yangtze River waterway in Hubei, increased the import tax on the goods of our countries, and supported the cultivation of national enterprises to seize the market. Ladies and gentlemen, can the interests of our countries be guaranteed in the south of China after they have taken control of the whole of southern China? ”

Kent's words made most of the people present frown, Wang Mo's various measures in Hubei. It is completely undisguised to support national capital and suppress foreign capital, which has long made them feel uncomfortable.

Now the Sichuan army has swept through southern China and has basically taken full control of the Yangtze River basin. Once the Wang family and his son continue to do the same thing in Hubei, it is estimated that it will not be long before the capital of various countries will be forcibly squeezed out of the southern Chinese market.

"Lord Kent is right, the power of the royal family must not be allowed to continue to expand so unscrupulously. On behalf of the Empire of Japan, I propose that all countries draw up troops to form a coalition to intervene in the situation in southern China by force. Completely defeat the arrogance of the Wang family's father and son! The Japanese consul in Shanghai stood up and shouted with a fist.

Hearing this, Kent almost didn't have a mouthful of blood spurted out on the spot, can there be a normal person?

Dispatch troops? Or joint armed intervention?

"you, the joint force intervention!" Kent was tempted to squirt the Japanese consul's dwarf winter melon and stomp it on the ground a few times.

Now Europe is frantically fighting, where is it possible to send troops to the Far East at this time. Even if some troops can be dispatched to drive over, it is absolutely self-defeating to face the Sichuan army, which can frantically recruit troops and explode the army at any time. If they are not careful, these people here are likely to be completely swept out of China by the always tough and arrogant Wang family father and son, and then their consul and minister positions will come to an end.

Those who can be active in the diplomatic field are not fools, and naturally understand the intention of the Japanese consul to incite Western countries and the Sichuan army to go to war. Therefore, the people present were basically not interested in the irrational proposal of the Japanese consul, and no one talked to them at all.

If it were not for the outbreak of the European war and the great increase in Japan's position in the Far East, I am afraid that the Japanese consul would not have been qualified to participate in such a conference.

At this time, the French consul, Mr. Leber, said: "Ladies and gentlemen, unlike the arrogant and unreasonable Chinese, all of us here are noble and civilized people who do not advocate the use of force. I believe that as long as all of our countries unite to put pressure on the Wang family and their sons, if they are still sensible, they will definitely make a clear commitment to ensuring the interests of our countries in China. ”

The vast majority of the people present nodded their heads and expressed their approval of the French consul's opinion. In their opinion, it is not surprising that so many world powers have joined forces to put pressure on a local Chinese warlord, even if they scare the Wang family father and son to death, where do the Chinese have the courage to refuse.

Kent was also very satisfied with these people's statements, nodded and said: "Rest assured, our Minister Zhu Erdian in Beijing has also put pressure on China's central government to force the Wang family father and son to give up their stupid actions that may offend the interests of our countries in China through the Beiyang Army!" In addition, here, on behalf of the British Empire, I propose that in the future, we will increase efforts to support Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government to eliminate the warlord forces of the Wang family and his sons. ”

Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government has always been respectful and humble to the powers of various countries, and the consuls and ministers of various countries naturally have no opinions, and soon reached a preliminary consensus on supporting Yuan Shikai and suppressing the Wang family.

……

Shandong, outside the county seat of Jimo County.

Wang Mo stood on a small hillside, holding a telescope to check the defense of the Japanese army in Jimo County, and behind him stood a large number of high-ranking officers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance.

"I'm a fairy, and the Oriental people are so despicable and shameless! In the past two days, they have shrunk in Jimo County and refused to come forward, and they also forced the people of Jimo County to build city fortifications, which is obviously afraid that we will launch a large-scale artillery bombardment on Jimo and let us cast rat traps! Zhang Wei scolded with anger on his face.

Li Jian also frowned and said: "Yes, commander, there are a large number of ordinary people in the city defense positions every day, and if we launch an artillery bombardment, it will inevitably affect many innocent people of Jimo." But if it drags on like this, I'm afraid that the Orientals will take the opportunity to transfer reinforcements from the country. ”

This is a fatal issue, and this war must not drag on indefinitely, after all, the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance is fighting against Japan alone.

Once Japan launched a vigorous national mobilization and the Western powers also contributed money to support it, Japan would organize an army and send reinforcements to Shandong. At that time, even if Wang Mo transferred the Sichuan army to the north to support, it would be even more difficult to win the war, and it was basically impossible for them to compete with the Beiyang Army after the war, with heavy casualties.

Wang Mo put down the binoculars, thought about it, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and said with a smile: "The Japanese are cowering in Jimo County, and they want to use the people of Jimo County to hold us hostage?" It's really a good calculation, but it's a pity that I didn't even think about attacking Jimo County. ”

When the officers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army heard this, they couldn't help but be stunned, if they didn't attack Jimo County, how could they defeat the Japanese army and win this war?

"Commander, what do you mean......" Li Jian asked, his expression thoughtful, as if he had guessed Wang Mo's thoughts.

"It's easy!" Wang Mo clenched his fist with his right hand, a trace of essence flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Let's march south!" ”

To the south?

To the south of Jimo County, isn't it Qingdao?

Zhang Wei suddenly shouted: "I understand, commander, you mean that our whole army will go south and annihilate the Anglo-Japanese coalition army that is confronting the German army in Qingdao!" ”

Wang Mo and the officers of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army discussed at the military intelligence meeting that the Anglo-Japanese alliance in Qingdao was definitely a dead end for the Japanese army.

Mitsutomi Kamio and Masaki Terauchi will certainly not be able to watch the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army move south to attack the Anglo-Japanese forces on the Qingdao side, and the current Japan is not the Japan of World War II, and they dare not face the anger of the British.

Once the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army makes a big move south, it is no wonder that the Japanese army can still stay in Jimo County! (To be continued.) )