At noon on July 7, 1911, the People's Party electrified the whole country in an extremely rare way. "The German Pacific Fleet shelled Lianyungang in the early morning of July 7, and under the cover of warships, German marines stormed the city of Lianyungang. Central China Crisis. The People's Party forces guarding Lianyungang fought back at the same time as the German invasion. The Germans are going to repeat the forced robbery of Jiaozhou Bay in those years. Because of the current relationship between the People's Party and other provinces in China, the People's Party does not ask the provinces for support or donations. However, if other political forces supported the Germans in this war against aggression, the People's Party would certainly crack down this traitor after winning this sacred battle for the defense of China's territory. ”

Most of the provinces were unaware of the contradictions between the People's Party and the Germans, and even those who received some information from Beijing treated it as a joke. The People's Party is a more dangerous existence than Beiyang, and the people in power in the provinces know this. Although the People's Party shouted the slogan "First, do not support, second, do not want money" in the face of the German attack, the latter sentence of "severely punishing traitors" after the war cannot but remind the provinces of the incident in which the People's Party telegraphed to the provinces that "whoever is the royalist people's party will be eliminated."

In the face of this telegram of the People's Party, all provinces felt an indescribable taste. It stands to reason that whether the People's Party can protect itself in the face of the attack of foreigners is still a big question. But looking at the current electrification, the People's Party actually looks like it is at ease. This is by no means an abnormal situation. Because of the fog of intelligence, the provinces are in a very confused state. Therefore, spies from all walks of life rushed to Lianyungang, which was known as the battlefield. Hope to get accurate information.

The Beiyang government did not have such a fog of information, and they had determined that as the People's Party had claimed, the German Pacific Fleet had launched an artillery bombardment on Lianyungang and sent troops to land. In addition to sending telegrams to the whole country, the People's Party also sent a telegram to Beiyang, and handed over Chen Ke's letter to Yuan Shikai through the People's Party's delegation in Beijing.

The contents of the letter are surprising. Chen Ke said that based on the war situation, the People's Party was going to attack Qingdao, so he informed Yuan Shikai in advance, hoping that when the People's Party marched into Qingdao, it would not cause misunderstanding between the two sides.

Chen Ke will also worry about being misunderstood? Yuan Shikai was really speechless about this. After sending away the young representatives of the People's Party delegation, Yuan Shikai sent people to invite Xu Shichang, Wang Shizhen, and Duan Qirui. The three of them all knew what Yuan Shikai meant, and after sitting down, they took turns to read Chen Ke's letter, and Xu Shichang said: "President, this time the People's Party is going to win its own reputation." I don't know much about military affairs, but I don't know if the BJP will win this time. ”

Yuan Shikai turned to Duan Qirui, "Zhiquan, what do you think?" ”

Duan Qirui already had an idea, and he immediately replied: "The People's Party wins because it has a large number of soldiers, even if it fights in Lianyungang and Qingdao at the same time, they will not encounter the problem of lack of troops." However, the German fortress in Qingdao was built very strongly. ”

While speaking, Duan Qirui took out a map of the Qingdao Fortress in Germany. The Kaiser's positioning of Qingdao was first a military port, and then a commercial port, so a large number of military facilities were built called "Qingdao Fortress". In addition to the original permanent forts, the German troops stationed in Qingdao built a defensive line, from Fushan Bay along the present-day Yan'an Third Road, Zhenjiang Road, and then along the coastal Bohe River to Jiaozhou Bay.

Beiyang is also very concerned about the layout of Qingdao Fortress, and also has a certain understanding of the general situation of the artillery group of Qingdao Fortress.

4 21CM cannons in Taixi Town Battery

3 8.8CM cannons of the regimental island battery

Yamen Mountain (now Xiaoyushan) fort 15CM cannon three

The fort of Cape (now Huiquanjiao) in front of the meeting

24CM CANNONS: 2 GUNS WITH TURRETS: 15CM CANNONS: 3 GUNS WITH TURRETS

Fengtailing (Moltkey Mountain, now Chushui Mountain) fort 8.8CM cannon 3

Bismarck Mountain (now Qingdao Mountain)

4 SOUTH BATTERY 28CM HOWITZERS

2 NORTH BATTERY 21CM CANNONS

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There was a long list of data on the paper, all of which were statistics on the cannons in various parts of the fortress.

Even Xu Shichang, who claims to "don't understand military affairs", is also a key figure in the era of small station training. He was highly trusted and respected by Yuan, and he obeyed his words and called him a brother; second, he was born in Hanlin and was respected by the generals, and they were all called teachers; Sanlai worked diligently, taught himself military and English, and successively compiled 13 volumes of "Records of the New Army's Soldiers" and "Detailed Illustrations of Operational Methods", and coordinated the training and education of the whole army with the new biography, with outstanding achievements and high prestige, thus establishing his position in the Beiyang army second only to Yuan Shikai, and also achieving the goal of "cultivating military with literature and advancing with military merits".

Listening to Duan Qirui's introduction to the modern fortress equipped with a total of hundreds of cannons of various calibers and various rates of fire, Xu Shichang sighed slightly. The fortress is indeed impregnable. As long as the supply of ammunition can be ensured, the Qingdao fortress is indeed impossible to overcome.

In the Russo-Japanese War, when Japan attacked the Arthur Fortress, more than 50,000 casualties were still not able to capture the Arthur Fortress. The Qingdao fortress of the Germans was more well prepared, and although the People's Party had won many battles at home, it had not heard of any large-scale artillery of the People's Party. If you want to attack Qingdao Fortress, I'm afraid you can't do it at all.

After introducing the information of Qingdao Fortress, Duan Qirui sneered, "When Chen Ke met the German minister, he once told the German minister that there is a saying in his hometown about things that cannot be done, called washing and sleeping. The German minister demanded that the People's Party recognize the action of the old treaty, and Chen Ke said that there was no need to wash, just sleep. I see that Chen Ke is facing the Qingdao Fortress, but I am afraid that he will sleep directly without washing. When he said this to the German minister, he was afraid that he did not expect that the German minister would start the war on the grounds that Chen Ke had insulted the German minister. ”

It was the first time Xu Shichang heard about this, and he never imagined that Chen Ke would actually say this in a formal diplomatic occasion. saw Yuan Shikai's face mocking, and Wang Shizhen had a disdainful look. Only then did Xu Shichang believe that Chen Ke, a middle-aged man in his thirties who seemed to be quite rational, also committed two hundred and fifty years.

But perhaps Xu Shichang has not dealt with the People's Party, nor has he suffered losses. So Xu Shichang had a vague uneasiness in his heart. Chen Ke may commit two hundred and five, but Xu Shichang does not think that Chen Ke is a reckless person. With Chen Ke's rudeness to the German minister, and such a quick reaction to the German war. Chen Ke's attitude is extremely consistent.

Thinking of this, Xu Shichang's expression had become solemn.

Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang were very familiar, and when he saw Xu Shichang's expression, he immediately asked, "Juren, what's wrong." ”

Xu Shichang replied: "President, although the German minister wants to do something against the People's Party has been premeditated for a long time. But Chen Ke's attitude before and after is not accidental, right? ”

All of you here are capable people, and as soon as Xu Shichang reminded him, everyone immediately understood what Xu Shichang meant. Duan Qirui said in surprise: "Mr. Juren, do you mean that Chen Ke has long wanted to fight with Germany, so he deliberately provoked the German minister?" ”

Xu Shichang was not completely sure, so he had to explain from another angle: "Although Germany has a tough attitude, except for Qingdao, no one in Asia supports Germany. Although Russia had relatively good relations with Germany, after the Russo-Japanese War, Russia was temporarily unable to move south. Japan is an ally of Great Britain, France is also an ally of Great Britain, and the Netherlands is the only one that Britain is looking forward to. So Germany is now alone. ”

Yuan Shikai felt that Xu Shichang's words were quite familiar, and after thinking about it carefully, it turned out to be what Chen Ke said to himself when he visited him. At this moment, even Yuan Shikai couldn't help but change his face. The German minister used Chen Ke's rudeness as a pretext for the war. And this war has actually been prepared by the German side for a long time. They need a reason. If Chen Ke had wanted to fight this war a long time ago, he deliberately gave the German minister an excuse to let the German minister take the lead in provoking the war. This explanation can actually be explained.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai already understood why Chen Ke didn't choose to take the initiative to declare war. After all, Chen Ke was going to negotiate a package trade deal with the British. If it takes the initiative to attack Germany, it will only invite a joint attack from all countries. However, if Germany had done it alone, the European and American powers would not have taken a military attack on the People's Party for the time being.

"Then Chen Ke must be able to capture the Qingdao Fortress." Duan Qirui is also an understanding person, he has also figured out this problem, and Duan Qirui has also figured out the further points, "If the People's Party wants to take the Qingdao Fortress, it can only rely on siege." How could the great powers give Chen Ke such an opportunity. They will definitely put pressure on Chen Ke behind his back. At that time, Chen Ke still had to withdraw his troops. ”

"Then what if Chen Ke can really take the Qingdao Fortress?" When Xu Shichang was training at the small station, because he was born in Hanlin, he was respected by the generals and called him a division. For Duan Qirui, Xu Shichang still has enough momentum.

Duan Qirui was stopped by this question. Yes, if the People's Party can really take the Qingdao fortress. Duan Qirui remembered that he and Wang Shizhen were surrounded by the People's Party in Huaiyuan County, and the People's Party broke through Huaiyuan City in one fell swoop with its strong ability to attack fortifications. The third town of Beiyang and the Jiangbei New Army were all annihilated.

"If the People's Party can really capture the Qingdao Fortress, we can take a nap and sleep in Beiyang. Oh, you don't have to wash, you just sleep. Yuan Shikai laughed.

This was said very abruptly, and the other three were shocked. They first looked at Yuan Shikai, who was laughing happily, and then looked at each other. I didn't know what Yuan Shikai meant.

Yuan Shikai stopped laughing, "If the Qingdao fortress can be conquered, what else can the People's Party not overcome?" Looking at the whole of China, where is it stronger than the Qingdao Fortress? ”

"Brother Xiangcheng......" Xu Shichang was frightened.

Yuan Shikai stood up and patted Xu Shichang's shoulder gently, "Brother Juren, I have no other meaning. You know that I look down on the kind of people who hold on to other people's words. That kind of person always thinks that a word can determine the success or failure of a thing. The attack on Qingdao Fortress is what the People's Party is going to fight, and it is useless for us to say anything beforehand. ”

"President, if you think that the People's Party can take the Qingdao Fortress, we must not let the People's Party go so smoothly." Duan Qirui hurriedly said.

Yuan Shikai asked slightly, "No, let's get out of the way for them to fight." When Chen Ke left Beijing, he had thousands of men under his command who had traveled 400 miles in four days. We want to stop the People's Party, didn't Chen Ke expect it? ”

Hearing this, Duan Qirui was silent. If Chen Ke really calculated Germany first, then he must have calculated Beiyang earlier. Reminiscent of the telegram sent by the people to the whole country: "If other political forces support the Germans in this war against aggression, the People's Party will certainly crack down this traitor after winning this sacred battle for the defense of China's territory." ”

Duan Qirui already understood the meaning of this. After the BJP loses, it will not be said that if the BJP can win. Then when the time comes, they will take advantage of the power of a big victory, and they will fight whoever they want. Beiyang has already lost to the People's Party, and the generals of this defeated army are Duan Qirui and Wang Shizhen, if Beiyang loses to the People's Party again, then the central government of Beiyang will come to an end.

"Pingqing, this time it's a war, and you send a telegram to Chen Ke in the name of the War Department. When the People's Party attacked Qingdao, our Beiyang garrison would never leave the camp. Yuan Shikai ordered Wang Shizhen.