"One, two, three, hard! One...... Two...... Three, work hard! ”

In the sound of neat trumpets, the soldiers of the Sichuan Army Artillery Regiment worked together to push the artillery onto the batteries of Tianbao City.

"All artillery groups have stepped up their actions, and the shells must also be in place as soon as possible to prepare for the shelling of the city of Nanjing!" Li Xudong shouted and gave an order.

At this time, Wang Haoshan took a large number of senior officers and operational staff officers of the Sichuan Army to the fort of Tianbao City.

"Salute!" Li Xudong saw Wang Haoshan who came over and immediately stood up and saluted.

The artillerymen who were busy with the artillery regiment also stopped their words one after another and saluted Wang Haoshan. Wang Haoshan raised his hand to return the salute, and then motioned for everyone to continue their work.

Wang Haoshan came to the fort and raised his binoculars to watch the situation of Nanjing's city defense not far away.

Nowadays, the city defense troops of Nanjing City are in a big mess, and a large number of soldiers slip away almost every day, and even the whole unit has picked up. The city defense position, which was originally densely packed with soldiers, can now only see less than half of the figures.

"Dashuai, I have learned more about the information, the elevation of Tianbao Peak is as high as 267 meters, the cliffs are staggered, and the terrain is very dangerous. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Tianbao City was a strategic military fortress guarding Jinling, and was known as the 'Key to Jinling'. If it weren't for the Kuomintang troops stationed in Tianbao City who took the initiative to open the city and surrender, I am afraid that even if our army could capture this fortress, it would have suffered heavy casualties. Liao Yan explained to Wang Haoshan.

Li Xudong immediately said: "Dashuai, Tianbao City is condescending, and artillery fire can cover the entire city of Nanjing. As long as the commander gives the order, he will guarantee that all the fortifications on the defensive positions of Nanjing City will be completely destroyed with artillery fire! ”

"Commander Li probably thinks highly of the Kuomintang, and with the current situation of the various departments of the Kuomintang, I am afraid that before you can completely sweep away the fortifications of Nanjing, the Kuomintang garrison will have to completely collapse." Ge Changchun chuckled and said, from the voluntary surrender of the Kuomintang garrison in Tianbao City, he could see that the various departments of the Kuomintang had long lost their fighting spirit.

Wang Haoshan said in a deep voice: "Let's launch a comprehensive artillery bombardment of the defense positions of Nanjing City according to the original plan, it is much better to waste ammunition than to kill and wound our Sichuan brothers." ”

As long as there are fewer casualties, it is worth wasting more ammunition. This has been the consensus of the Sichuan army. Therefore, the rest of the Sichuan army officers basically agreed with Wang Haoshan's words.

The top brass of the Sichuan army was so relaxed that they didn't need to think about how to break through the city of Nanjing, but were thinking about how to reduce the casualties of their soldiers. But on the Kuomintang side, it was the opposite, Xu Chongzhi, the head of the city defense department, was in the headquarters at this time, his eyes were red, and his hair was so worried that his hair was gray.

"The news of Mr. Sun's eastward trip to Japan is well known, and we can understand it. But the big soldiers below are all in a very good mood. ”

"Chief of Staff, hurry up and think of a way, all the soldiers under my command are running out."

"Yes, how can we defend our positions without soldiers? And so on. There is no need for the Sichuan army to attack the city, and our respective troops will have to be dispersed on their own. ”

"Chief of Staff, why don't you send a telegram and ask Mr. Sun to come back and show up?"

……

In the headquarters, the senior officers of the various departments of the Kuomintang complained bitterly, not because they did not want to hold on to the city defense, but because the situation in the various departments was really bad. Not to mention the large number of deserters every day, there are now faint signs of mutiny and defection in the various ministries.

Xu Chongzhi, whose face was full of exhaustion, shouted angrily: "What is the quarrel, didn't I just give you a reward not long ago, and each soldier will be appeased by sending two pieces of ocean." Don't think I don't know your dirty things. If at any other time, Lao Tzu would have turned a blind eye and forgotten it, now is the time of life and death, can't you all have a little bit of snack? The Sichuan army came in, and everyone had to be finished! ”

The Kuomintang officers present looked at each other, and their eyes were a little empty, they naturally understood what Xu Chongzhi's words meant, but how could they spit out the silver that had been swallowed.

In order to stabilize the morale of the army, Zhang Jingjiang tried every means to raise 300,000 oceans of silver. Xu Chongzhi didn't have a little oil and water to pay it down, but the officers at all levels below were not so rational, you passed one hand, I passed one hand, and sent it to the soldiers. It's only one person and half an ocean.

As soon as Xu Chongzhi saw the expressions of these people, he knew what they were thinking, and when he was about to scold angrily, a deafening explosion suddenly came from outside the headquarters.

Boom-boom-boom

The entire command shook incessantly. The documents on the table were all beating, and the Kuomintang officers in the headquarters understood that this was a large-scale artillery bombardment by the Sichuan army, and their faces were all pale.

"Report!" A KMT officer ran in in a panic and reported to Xu Chongzhi, "Chief of Staff, God...... The city of Celestial Fortress was lost. The Sichuan army moved the artillery to Tianbao City, and it was ...... A full-scale artillery bombardment of our fortified positions is being carried out. ”

"Impossible!" Xu Chongzhi stood up suddenly, his face changed drastically, and he shouted in disbelief, "This is absolutely impossible, the fortifications of Tianbao City are strong, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the Sichuan army will never be able to break through it in such a short time!" ”

The officer said with a depressed expression: "Chief of Staff, Tianbao City was not breached by the Sichuan army, but ...... It was the new 3rd Division stationed in Tianbao City that took the initiative to open the city and surrender. ”

"What...... How could this be, how could it be like this......" Xu Chongzhi muttered, his eyes suddenly lost their brightness, and he sat down on the chair with a gloomy expression.

When the Kuomintang officers present heard that Tianbao City had been lost, they were all at a loss when they understood what Tianbao City meant, and many people were already thinking about whether to pack up their belongings and sneak out of Nanjing City or surrender to the Sichuan army.

Boom-boom-boom

The ferocious shelling continued, and the rumbling explosion seemed to explode in the ears of Xu Chongzhi and others.

Before Xu Chongzhi and the others could recover from the blow of the loss of Tianbao City, soon a number of communication soldiers ran in to report the latest battle situation.

"Report, because of the heavy artillery bombardment of the Sichuan army, the 203rd Regiment suffered heavy casualties and collapsed, and the Xuanwu Gate was broken by the Sichuan army!"

"Report, the new 2nd Division stationed at Qilin Gate mutinied and took the initiative to open the city gate to welcome the Sichuan army into the city!"

"Report, the defensive position of the Zhonghua Gate was broken by the Sichuan army, and a large number of Sichuan troops attacked the city from the Zhonghua Gate!"

……

Bad news followed, in a short period of time, the Qilin Gate, Xuanwu Gate and Zhonghua Gate have been broken, the Sichuan army entered the city in a big way, and the loss of Nanjing City was a foregone conclusion.

At this time, the vast majority of the officers in the command no longer cared about Xu Chongzhi, and fled the headquarters in a panic, either thinking about leaving the city, or figuring out how to contact the Sichuan army to surrender.

Looking at the officers who fled the command, Xu Chongzhi didn't say anything to stop them, but just smiled miserably, pulled out the shell gun, put the muzzle against his temple, and was about to pull the trigger.

Seeing such a scene, Zhang Jun, the adjutant next to him, was almost frightened, and hurriedly rushed up, grabbed Xu Chongzhi's right hand holding the shell gun, and said, "Chief of Staff, what are you doing here?" Even if the Sichuan army enters the city, they will definitely not embarrass you. ”

Xu Chongzhi's eyes were gray, and he said lifelessly: "The Sichuan army will not embarrass me...... So what? If I didn't defend the city of Nanjing, I am sorry for Mr. Sun's trust and the entire Kuomintang Party. ”

"It's not your fault that Nanjing is lost. Chief of Staff, don't think about it, so many of our brothers are still pointing at you! Zhang Jun persuaded bitterly.

"Pointing at me?" Xu Chongzhi smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "Since the Sichuan army has entered the city, I, the chief of the general staff of the Kuomintang Party, am not bullshit, what can I expect from me?" ”

Zhang Junsheng was afraid that Xu Chongzhi would have the idea of committing suicide again, so he hurriedly said: "Chief of Staff, although the Sichuan army has entered the city, they definitely don't want to kill." There are still tens of thousands of people in various departments of our Kuomintang Party, and if one is not careful, there may be chaos, so the Sichuan army will inevitably need someone who can stabilize the situation for the time being. And this person is none other than you, Chief of Staff. If you don't stand up, once the various departments are in chaos, the Sichuan army is bound to kill. Chief of Staff, can you bear to watch so many brothers finally be slaughtered by the Sichuan army? ”

Although the Sichuan army had entered the city, it had only 20,000 troops after all, and it was very difficult to control the Kuomintang troops that still had 30,000 or 40,000 troops, and to maintain order in the huge city of Nanjing.

Once it was used and instigated by people with good intentions, the various departments of the Kuomintang became in chaos. Then the Sichuan army has no other way than to kill.

Thinking of this, Xu Chongzhi's determination to die gradually faded, and the hand holding the barge gun slowly let go.

At this time, the order in Nanjing City was indeed very chaotic, full of fleeing Kuomintang soldiers, as well as ruffians and hooligans who took advantage of the fire to rob.

Bang-bang-bang

Gunshots rang out from time to time, and the Sichuan troops of the brigade marched into the city of Nanjing, and all those who took advantage of the fire to loot and cause chaos, whether they were local ruffians or Kuomintang soldiers, were killed on the spot by the Sichuan army.

Wang Haoshan rode a horse into Nanjing City slowly, followed by a large number of guards. Looking up at the buildings on both sides of the street, looking at this prosperous city in the south, he was full of emotion in his heart.

Once upon a time, he was just a small and inconsequential former Qing patrol battalion commander.

Once upon a time, his greatest ambition was nothing more than to dominate a county.

And now, he is not only the commander of the Sichuan army, but also led the Sichuan army to sweep through the south and step into the ancient capital of Nanjing.

Seeing that Wang Haoshan was stunned, Ge Changchun next to him reminded: "Dashuai, the top priority is to control the whole city and restore order in the entire Nanjing City as soon as possible." ”

Wang Haoshan, who came back to his senses, nodded, and then ordered: "Order, according to the original plan, all ministries will immediately control important institutions such as the Fan Treasury, the Yamen of the Nanjing River Customs, the Yali Bureau, the Guanyin Horn, the General Headquarters of the Kuomintang City Defense Army, and the Autonomous Government Building of the Southern United Province!" ”

With Wang Haoshan's order issued, all units of the Sichuan Army rushed to the designated location to control the important strongholds and organs of Nanjing City in accordance with the combat tasks assigned before entering the city.

Not long after, the Kuomintang rebels and local ruffians who were scurrying around in Nanjing were wiped out by the Sichuan army one by one, and all Kuomintang units were ordered to return to their barracks and not to act rashly.

Surrounded by a large number of high-ranking officers of the Sichuan Army and escorted by the guards, Wang Haoshan strode into the office building of the Autonomous Government of the Southern United Province.

Everyone understands that the era of the Kuomintang in the south has come to an end, and a new force capable of countering the Beiyang has officially stepped onto the top of China's political stage. (To be continued.) )