In the evening of the same day, in the headquarters of the Second Reading Force Garrison Brigade of the Mukden North Army and the South Manchurian Railway, the current garrison captain Shimamoto Masaichi was talking on the phone with a solemn expression.

Behind him, two Sayben ronins with samurai swords on thin ice were waiting, they were the two who had been taught a lesson by Zhang Xinghua in Fengtian City during the day.

After being beaten, the two immediately left Mukden by train and came to the station of the 2nd Reading Force Garrison Brigade to report to Shimamoto Shoichi that he had been beaten in public by [***] people in Mukden Castle.

When Shimamoto Shoichi learned about it, he knew that this was a very sensitive time, and he couldn't make up his mind, so he immediately reported to Seishiro Itagaki, the new senior chief of staff of the Kwantung Army, who was urgently planning a detailed battle plan against the Northeast Army, or more precisely against the Chinese defenders of Mukden Castle and Kitadaying.

The phone went through, and Shoichi Shimamoto reported the matter in detail to Ishihara Waner, who answered the phone on the other end of the phone.

After Ishihara listened, there was silence on the other end of the phone for a while before a voice came.

However, this time it was not Ishihara Waner who spoke, but Itagaki Seishiro, on the other end of the phone, in the Operations Department of the Kwantung Army Headquarters in Lushun, Itagaki Seishiro said in a serious tone: {Shimamoto-kun, you listen, at present, the battle plan for Shiina Mukden and Beida Camp is still being urgently formulated, we are not fully prepared, you don't care about this matter for the time being, I will notify the diplomatic consulate and let them go to test the pressure on the Chinese, so as to attract the attention of the scattered China, Provide effective cover and response for our next attack. Do you understand? }

"Hay! Humble duty understands. On the other end of the phone, Shimamoto Shoichi nodded hurriedly, and after hanging up the phone, he turned around and said coldly to the two ronins with a dark face: "This matter has been handed over to the consulate by the superiors, you can go down." ”

"Hay!" The two devil ronins bowed their heads at the same time, and then turned around and left together.

………………………………

In the conference hall of the General Staff Department of the Kwantung Army of the Lushun Army.

Itagaki Seishiro, who had just finished talking to Shoichi Shimamoto, put down the microphone, his face became more and more fierce and gloomy, and said to Ishihara, who was sitting in front of him: "Ishihara-kun, the soldiers of China are extremely arrogant, and they dare to beat up our nationals in the street, which is really extremely arrogant, and I agree with the battle plan of launching an attack on the Northeast Army the day after tomorrow." ”

"Itagaki-kun, you don't have to be angry, after the day after tomorrow, we can properly punish those arrogant and despicable Shina people, and let them know that if you offend me, you will end up with the imperial army of this empire - there is only one way to die." When Ishihara heard this, he immediately stood up and said with a sneer.

In fact, Seishiro Itagaki and Ishihara Waner and others had long been ambitious and began to secretly plan how to launch the battlefield and provoke incidents, so as to provide an opportunity and excuse for the army to invade Mukden and even the entire northeast by force.

It is just that they have not made up their minds for a short time, after all, with their current strength in the northeast, they are at an absolute disadvantage, and it is extremely risky to rashly provoke a war.

If nothing else, let's just say that near Mukden City, they only have the 29th Infantry Wing of the Second Division and a Reading Garrison Brigade, the 29th Infantry Wing has about two or three thousand people, and Shimamoto Shoichi's Reading Garrison Brigade has only 600 people, with four squadrons under its jurisdiction.

In addition to the large number of military and police stationed in the entire Fengtian City, there are at least more than 10,000 elites of the Northeast Army stationed in the Beida Camp more than ten miles north of the city.

And close to the 7th Brigade of the Northeast Army of Beidaying is the 2nd Reading Garrison Brigade of Shoichi Shimamoto, and the disparity in strength is too great, and the rash start of war is full of unknown variables.

Moreover, if they wanted to attack, then the Yue army could only attack Fengtian City and Beidaying at the same time in two ways, because, neither Itagaki Seishiro nor Ishihara Waner was sure that all the Yue troops near Fengtian City would be able to defeat the 7th Brigade of the Northeast Army stationed in Beidaying before the arrival of reinforcements from the Northeast Army.

Because he is the trump card among the aces in the Northeast Army, and the elite unit of Zhang Xueliang's lineage, he is well-equipped and well-trained, and his combat power should not be underestimated.

After all, once the army concentrates more than 3,000 men and horses to attack the Beida Camp, no matter whether the battle situation is stalemate, or the Yue army captures the Beida Camp after paying a great price, will they still have the ability to take the Northeast Army before the reinforcements arrive, and the high walls of the city are firmly enshrined in the heavenly city?

The answer is definitely no.

Therefore, during their discussions, Seishiro Itagaki and Ishihara Wan'er decided that if they launched an attack, they would have to divide their troops into two routes and launch a surprise attack on Mukden Castle with the 29th Infantry Wing, which had a large number of troops and strong combat strength, so as to seize Mukden Castle with superior combat power.

Shoichi Shimamoto's 2nd Garrison Brigade was responsible for carrying out a night attack on Beida Camp, not seeking to defeat the Northeast Army of Beida Camp, but only to contain them and gain time for the main force to take Mukden and the arrival of reinforcements.

In this way, as long as the 29th Infantry Wing takes Fengtian City in time and the reinforcements arrive in time, then it will be much easier to deal with the 7th Brigade in Beidaying.

However, with only 600 people, whether they could contain the tens of thousands of troops of the 7th Brigade made Itagaki Seishiro and Ishihara Waner also beat the drums very much, so they couldn't make up their minds for a long time.

And Zhang Xinghan's beating of two people on the street today just increased Itagaki Seishiro's determination to provoke a fight, of course, even if there is no such thing as Zhang Xinghan, Itagaki Seishiro and others will make up their minds sooner or later, maybe only a day or a few hours later than now.

Because the history of the September 18 incident broke out on September 18, which is unavoidable today.

Zhang Xinghan's actions only played a little role in promoting and guiding, just like a pile of dry wood that was about to burn at a critical point, and Zhang Xinghan's actions only made its burning a little earlier.

……………………………………………………

At the same time, the North Daying barracks.

Zhang Xinghan separated from Wang Ruoying as early as the afternoon and returned to the barracks, and after dinner, Zhang Xinghan took Liu Jianguo, deputy battalion commander, and several subordinates to the vegetable field outside their camp defense area.

Speaking of this vegetable field, it has to be said that General Wang Yizhe, the current commander of the Seventh Brigade, since the Seventh Brigade was stationed in Beidaying, he has been fighting for self-sufficiency in order to improve the food of the troops and reduce the financial burden on Shangfeng (Zhang Xueliang).

First of all, a military factory was set up, and soldiers with strong skills and learning ability were selected from among the officers and men of the brigade, and various factories such as leather shoes, toothpaste powder, shoes and socks were established.

In addition to the goods produced by the factories for their own use, the surplus goods were also sold to some small traders in the form of wholesale, or sold by special personnel to the Fengtian City market, so that the officers and men of the Seventh Brigade and all battalions made money in half a year.

All this money was used by the officers and men of the 7th Brigade themselves, or by joining the military salaries and giving them money, or by raising their food and living standards.

Later, Wang Yizhe mobilized the officers and men of the whole brigade to reclaim all the empty areas in the barracks of each battalion and company in the Beida Camp and the wasteland outside the Beida Camp where the grass was overgrown, and planted all kinds of melons, fruits and vegetables to improve the food of the officers and men.

Therefore, most of the vacant land outside the Beida camp and the main road outside the barracks gate have been reclaimed and utilized.

There are vegetable and fruit fields everywhere, and what Zhang Xinghan and his party came to was the cabbage field in their camp reclamation area.

After walking back and forth in the cabbage field a few times, Zhang Xinghan set his eyes on the woods in the distance of the cabbage field, which was about seven or eight hundred meters away from the camp of the Beidaying.

If the Japanese army came to attack, this forest would provide excellent natural cover for the Japanese army, which would allow them to quickly approach the camp of the 7th Brigade.

Seeing that Zhang Xinghan had been staring at the woods in front of him for a long time, Liu Jianguo, the deputy battalion commander, asked suspiciously: "Camp, is there anything wrong there?" ”

"Jianguo, you immediately gather all the sappers of our battalion, gather all the mines and explosives in our battalion, and give me a large number of dense mines in that forest and the cabbage field on our side, if there are not enough mines, then use more grenades instead." Zhang Xinghan did not answer Liu Jianguo, but instructed him.

"Laying mines? Why? Wouldn't our people be able to come out as well? This cabbage field is picked by a cooking class every day. Liu Jianguo was even more puzzled.

"You don't have to ask about this, you will naturally know when the time comes, just do it, I'll go to the regiment headquarters to find a group seat." Zhang Xinghan said indifferently.

"Oh, good." Liu Jianguo nodded in agreement, and turned around with Zhang Xinghan to return to the camp.

Ten minutes later, the 620th regiment was in the middle of the regimental headquarters.

Zhang Xinghan saluted the standard military salute after Wang Tiehan, the head of the regiment, and said, "Tuanzao, I don't know if it disturbed your rest?" ”

"Hehe, no, no, I'm reading." Seeing Zhang Xinghan so serious, Wang Tiehan smiled and waved his hand, "Come, sit down." ”

Zhang Xinghan sat down as he said, and Wang Tiehan asked, "What's the matter, come to me for something?" ”

Zhang Xinghan sat straight, looked at Wang Tiehan without squinting, and said in a serious tone: "Tuanzao, Xinghan came to you late at night to tell you something. ”

"Oh? What's the matter? Wang Tiehan put down the book in his hand and asked curiously.

"According to intelligence, the garrison of the South Manchurian Railway stationed not far from our camp has been frequently mobilized and increased in strength, and the gendarmes in various streets and towns along the railway have also changed their guards. Zhang Xinghan said the words he had prepared in the future, because he could not directly tell Wang Tiehan that he would launch an attack on Shenyang and Beidaying at the same time on September 18, that is, the day after tomorrow.

Therefore, it can only be said that these are things that have indeed happened in history, so as to achieve the purpose of reminding Wang Tiehan to consolidate his defense and increase his vigilance.

Although there are three regiments stationed in the Beida Battalion, it is obviously unrealistic for the commander of a lieutenant colonel battalion in Zhang Xinghan District to ask the other two regiments to strengthen their vigilance and prepare for battle.

Therefore, Zhang Xinghan could only pin his hopes on Wang Tiehan's 620 regiment, the only one who had resisted in the battle of Beidaying.

The total strength of the 620 Regiment is more than 3,000 people, not counting its own third battalion, there are still more than 2,000 people, if you can put more than 2,000 people into battle, stay and stick to the Beida Battalion with the third battalion, not only can you hold the Beida Battalion, but even wipe out a few hundred Japanese troops who have come to attack is not a problem.

Only by holding the Beida Camp first and solving the Second Reading Force Garrison Brigade of the Yue Army can Zhang Xinghan carry out his next plan.

However, Wang Tiehan's answer made Zhang Xinghan a little unexpected, after listening to Zhang Xinghan's report, Wang Tiehan was not surprised, but said very calmly: "Oh, why do I think it's important, I also know what you said, and reported it to the brigade, after discussion, everyone agreed that this is the normal change of guard of the army, there is nothing to make a fuss about."

After all, I am not unheard of such frequent movements, but just in case, I have ordered all battalions and companies to be vigilant. ”