"Isn't Shan Shuai up yet?" In the front-line headquarters of the Anhui army, Cheng Yunhe wiped the sweat on his head and anxiously asked his adjutants. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoThe weather has become hotter in the past two days, and the promised Dutch water is given priority to the Fuso Artillery Brigade for use, and when it is distributed to Cheng Yunyu's troops, it is only enough for half of the soldiers to drink.

There are only a few bitter wells near the troops' station, and the water is bitter and difficult to swallow, and forced drinking can also cause severe diarrhea.

The locals had to walk more than a dozen miles to fetch water to drink, and that small river could not meet the drinking water needs of the nearly two divisions and troops.

Although a batch of canned fruits was transported from the rear, it was said that it was to supplement the soldiers with vitamins. But the smell of those cans made the soldiers quickly characterize it as a torture instrument, ready to be used to torture the Lu army agents, and no one would eat it.

The border guards have a large number of herdsmen recruited from outside, and their tolerance for harsh conditions is far higher than that of ordinary farmers in the Central Plains. But even these honest soldiers could not withstand such a harsh environment.

Because of lack of water or diarrhea, many soldiers fell into a coma due to heat stroke, and because there was no military station, the supplies of the troops were transported from Jingli and Jinmen. However, the docks in Jinmen are all in the hands of the gangsters, and now the gangsters are openly resisting the Anhui system, and no matter how much money they pay, they can't hire anyone to unload the ship. Large quantities of bread purchased from Fuso are piled up at the docks and cannot be transported, let alone medicines. If a person is sick, there is no medicine for medical treatment, and he can't even think about the medicine to prevent mosquitoes and heatstroke; if this continues, it won't be long before a large-scale infectious disease breaks out in the troops.

Xu Youzheng issued several orders in succession, resolutely not allowing waves to fight before he arrived. Cheng Yunhe could only sit back and watch as the Lu military first seized the advantageous terrain and controlled the commanding heights of the battlefield, and the number of sick people in his army increased day by day, the stench permeated the barracks, and the smoked people were dizzy.

The morale of the troops was becoming low, and he could only urge Xu Youzheng to move forward again and again, but the messenger went a lot, and the actual effect was not obvious. His brother Cheng Yunpeng also quietly sent him a secret letter in Beijing, asking him to pay attention to his own safety, not only to seek the country, but also to seek his life.

"Commander Xu, I think it's deliberately rubbing." The officer urging the war said resentfully: "The four divisions in his hands have food and drink every day, just like us, they don't give water, and only give food to the head of the foreign nest that is so hard that it can smash people's heads." How can this battle be fought? ”

The taste of Taixi bread is worse than that of fried rice and dry food, and the people of Fuso have begun to ask for Chinese rice and refuse to eat bread. Such rations can't be compared with Shandong at all. The chef of Jinan Deyi Building, however, got a large number of tableware from the Shandong Enamel Factory, and borrowed a large iron pot from a vendor who sold sugar fried chestnuts, and transported it to the front line as a stir-fry pot. The Lu army has everything to eat, fry, fry, boil, boil, stew, and stew, and the sentinels responsible for front-line reconnaissance are anti-water and throw themselves into Lu. The morale of the Anhui army, how is it high?

The effect of paying April before the war inevitably hit a big discount, and Cheng Yunhe also knew that if this continued, this battle would be difficult to fight. And the little fan will not see the stakes here, the reason why he did not come to the front line is nothing more than that he is worried that he is too brave and really wins the Lu army, and the post of Shandong overseer belongs to him.

No matter what he says about Shandong in words, everyone knows that Shandong is a piece of fat, and it is not a secret that Xu Youzheng is interested in the post of Shandong overseer, most of him is worried about making himself suffer a big loss, and he will come out to pick up a bargain.

"Deputy commander, you are also the deputy commander-in-chief of the dignified frontline, so you shouldn't be held hostage by villains everywhere. From the point of view of humble duty, it is better for us to fight this battle ourselves. When Xu Youzheng arrives at the front line, let's finish the battle, where will we put his face? ”

Listening to the suggestion of his confidant adjutant, Cheng Yunhe instinctively felt that such a disposition was not appropriate. At least Xu Youzheng is not a generous official who can tolerate others not following his moderation. What's more, he is already a thorn in his side, and if he does it again, I'm afraid the consequences will be serious.

Moreover, although he is nominally the deputy commander, the troops he actually controls are only himself and Song Ziyang's two divisions. Song Ziyang is the division commander promoted by Xu Youzheng, and his relationship with himself is very weak. The reason why I let myself team up with him is to restrain each other and make it impossible for me to move on my own. If you play with such a lineup, what are the chances of winning?

"Deputy Commander, now you can't hesitate. If we don't fight on our side, we won't be able to fight on the Western Front, and Wu Ziyu will have more strength if he has one more day of preparation time, and if he wants to control him at that time, I'm afraid it will not be easy. ”

Cheng Yunhe thought for a moment and ordered, "Please come to Master Song, I have something to say to him." ”

Even for high-ranking officers, the current drink is rationed, and Cheng Yunhe put a glass of Dutch water in front of Song Ziyang. The latter's age is far younger than himself, and the Beiyang Army values seniority over ability, if it weren't for Xu Youzheng's support, with Song Ziyang's age, he should still be mixed up in the battalion and company cadres now. He nodded at the other party and said straight to the point:

"Our situation, Master Song should be very clear. The lack of drinking water, the daily consumption of Tessie bread, and the lack of water to drink, quickly broke down and their morale worsened. If Shan Shuai refuses to go to the front line for a long time, we will not be able to start a war with Shandong. In such a hot weather, if it drags on any longer, the brothers will not have to fight, and they will be exhausted. ”

Song Ziyang had no objection to this, and only said: "I think Commander-in-Chief Xu will always think of a way to solve this matter." We are hot, and the Lu army is also hot. The environment is fair to both warring parties, and the difficulties go both ways. ”

"But Shandong controls the water source, so it's easier for us to get drinking water, and there are water trucks dedicated to delivering water, so it's not much affected by the weather. They have a large number of migrant workers, and even water can be brought from the rear. We can't get a husband in Hebei, and even if we collect some, the efficiency is very slow, and it is not good for us to drag it out. Once the Lu army completes its position, the defeat of Fusang in Shandong will be a lesson for us. ”

"What do you mean, lieutenant?"

"Duan Zhi treats me with the grace of knowing something, and I should kill myself to repay it. In the current situation, Commander-in-Chief Xu hopes that I will lose the battle, so that I will not have the face to participate in the future merit sharing conference. I don't want my defeat to be too ugly, it's best to be able to take away Shandong's strength, so that he can make meritorious contributions. What's more, he has always guarded against me being from Shandong, afraid that I would turn against the water before the battle, and use you to spy on me. I understand all of this, and it's not like no one has persuaded me to go to Lu. But Cheng is not talented, and he always understands that there is loyalty in life, I just want to do something for Zhi Lao and repay him for his kindness. The military situation cannot be delayed, and if Shan Shuai does not come, I will have to make my own decisions and start a war with the Lu army in advance. Regardless of whether I win or lose this battle, I will resign from the military and retire to the forest. However, with the strength of the first division of our army, we have to face the troops of the third division of the Lu army, and the strength is not ......"

"Plus my division, it's actually death." Song Ziyang said coldly: "According to the analysis of the results of sporadic clashes in the past few days, our two divisions, at most, if we fight the Lu army, one and a half divisions will be annihilated." Maybe your and my lives are difficult to preserve, and the deputy commander is not afraid of death? ”

Cheng Yunhe smiled bitterly, "Cheng is also a layman, how can he not be afraid of death?" It's just that Zhion is so kind to me, how can I retreat because of my own safety? Even if he dies, he must repay Zhi Shuai for his kindness. Division Commander Song is right, we are two divisions, and it is already the limit to be able to fight one and a half Lu divisions, and I shouldn't have dragged others to die with me. ”

Song Ziyang said: "What the deputy commander said is wrong, you don't want me to accompany you to die, what am I going to do on the front line again?" He unbuttoned his military appearance, took off his military hat, and tapped it in his hand:

"When I was training at the Army School, I learned the discipline of the Lu Army. There is a saying within the Lu army that soldiers take dying on the battlefield as their ideal destination. If a similar situation happened to the Lu army, they didn't even have to have a meeting, they would have rushed over and worked hard, didn't our Anhui army have the backbone? Isn't it just to die, who wouldn't be like that? ”

He spat on the ground, "Shan Shuai did order me to monitor the actions of the deputy commander, and if there is any abnormal movement, I will be punished immediately." But now, it seems, this order has lost its effect. Because, I'm going to have to move too. This time, let's have a good fight with the Lu army, and let him see if there are no men in the Anhui army! ”

The night wind blew, bonfires were lit on the position, and the Shandong army shouted long live, drifting in the wind. The Anhui army, which decided to go to war, has also arrived on the battlefield. Looking at the bonfire like a long dragon on the opposite side, as well as the melodious music, most of the soldiers of the Anhui army felt that the Lu army on the opposite side may not see this war as a battle of life and death, but only as a hunt. Such an opponent is different from the previous one.

Even the troops that have fought old battles will inevitably be nervous on the eve of the war, and the border guards, which have not gone through large-scale hard battles, are not inferior in terms of training weapons, but in terms of psychological quality, they cannot be compared with the Shandong soldiers who have fought in Fuso. Many Anhui troops began to talk to each other, whispering about the situation and tomorrow's life and death. Some people began to think about what other relatives they had at home, and who they would rely on to take care of them if they died.

There are some veterans recruited from Shandong in the border guards, and some of the veterans were dismissed after the war in Zhilu and Anhui, but there are also some who can continue to be retained by relying on their connections. Now, these people have become the backbone of the soldiers of the Anhui army. Everyone surrounded the veteran, handed over their treasured cigarettes, and asked about the characteristics and weaknesses of the Lu army, what they should pay attention to, and how to deal with it.

"Shandong soldiers don't have anything, just three. I usually eat enough, twenty-four taels of staple food a day, and there are also non-staple foods, which are much stronger than our sixteen taels. Our sixteen taels are counted with shells, and after the shells, how much is left? Tell you the truth, when did you eat enough? Lu Jun's twenty-four taels, but they were dry, and they had a full meal. The second is that the military salary is sufficient, each person has an account, and the military salary is directly deposited in the account, and no one can handle it. The third is to have a lot of pensions, and there is care, if he is disabled, Shandong will raise him for a lifetime. Therefore, when you fight, you dare to play with your life, which is more daring than taking a strong pill. ”

When it came to the pill, some of the Anhui army's heads shook violently. The addiction of this thing is no longer a secret, although people who take strong pills are very fierce, but they can't do without them, and when the army is not fighting, strong pills will not be supplied for free. A month's military salary, all of which are bought with strong pills, may not be enough, and I don't know what to do when I am discharged from the army.

Some people also remembered the old story of Duan Zhiquan using cavalry to deal with veterans, and muttered: "If I am disabled, the Zhengfu will definitely raise me for the rest of my life, and those who are crippled during military training will go home directly." Commander-in-Chief Xu said that the Anhui army does not raise idlers......"

"My home is on the grassland, and this time, I probably can't go back......"

The position of the Anhui army fell silent, and the military band also tried to play a few pieces, but the nervous musicians, unable to find even the basic syllables, decided to give up after several attempts. The soldiers of the Anhui army found a random place on the ground to lie down, trying to make themselves sleep, but most of them were destined to have no sleep tonight.

Cheng Yunyu didn't dare to sleep, he and Song Ziyang were worried about the night attack of the Lu army, during the Battle of Shandong, the name of the Lu army's night battle was known to the world, who dared not to guard against it? The soldiers of the whole two regiments were specially used to guard against the night attack of the Lu army, and the two division commanders personally led the guards and patrolled with horse lanterns.

The sound of soldiers' disheveled breathing, murmuring, and sobbing was heard in the wind. Before the battle, this sobbing, like an ominous curse, lingered in the hearts of the two officers. Song Ziyang had the intention to find the source of the sound, but was stopped by Cheng Yunju

"It's not time to do this kind of thing, and if you pursue this, the people below will rebel. I have lived more than ten years longer than you, and one of the things I have learned is to know when to pretend to be deaf and dumb. These brothers are doomed to die in this battle against us. You won't let them cry before they die? ”

The two looked at each other and smiled, and they were already approaching the artillery position of the Fuso people in front of them. Song Ziyang stopped, "You don't have to go over. I don't have much to say to the Orientals. Their men will change into our uniforms and fight as Anhui troops. We acted without authorization this time, but we had to take a large battalion of Oriental artillery, and in the future, Commander-in-Chief Xu did not know how to explain to the Fusang people. ”

"Maybe you don't need to explain anything, those Orientals themselves should know that they were sent to die." Cheng Yunhe looked up at the sky and lit a Luzon cigarette. "The people of Fusang may also be waiting, waiting to see what changes the Lu army will have compared to the battle of Shandong. If the performance of the Lu army is not as good as before, then this brigade is a medicine primer to prepare for a big battle in the future. If Lu Jun performs well enough, it will be difficult to say. From this point of view, I hope that the Lu army can fight a little better, after all, the mountains and rivers are good, and they cannot fall into the hands of a small country in Fanbang. I'm a bit confused right now, and I don't know which side I'm on. ”

Langfang, in the headquarters of the East Route Army of the Anhui Army.

In Xu Youzheng's headquarters, there is also a high-scale map of Hebei. During the two-year truce, Zhao Guanhou presided over the mapping of several northern provinces, and Hebei was no exception. The version in Xu Youzheng's hand is older than the one used by Zhao Guanhou, and there are errors in some places, but for Gonghe, it is already an extremely rare high-level military map.

Red and blue pencils draw a number of lines on the map. There were quite a few intelligence officers working in Hebei, but in the early stage of the two wars, Shandong's counter-espionage work also began to operate, and a large number of intelligence officers were pulled out. The few that lurked were also unable to deliver the news because of the chaos of the battle situation. Due to the lack of timely intelligence, most of the military deployment and material situation of the Zhilu coalition army are very vague, and they can only rely on some fragmentary intelligence for analysis.

Several Tiele officers in exile became Xu Youzheng's senior staff officers, just as the Lu army had Ryanstein, so that everything is today. During Xu Youzheng's stay in the northwest, he also paid attention to absorbing foreign officers, and these Tiele people were his top staff officers. The officers were drawing on the picture and talking loudly in Tiele language. The orderlies sent Cheng Yunyu again to ask Xu Youzheng for the order to advance, but he threw it aside.

"Cheng Yunhe wants me to go to the front line, just to succeed in the first battle and get Dulu capital for myself, I can't ask him to get his wish. If my expectations are not bad, he will probably not be able to resist fighting with Lu Jun in the past two days. When his troops and the Lu army are both defeated, it is time for us to come forward to solve the Lu army. ”

He looked at the battle plan handed over by Staff Officer Tiele, nodded and said: "Pass my order, the two divisions of Tan Jinfang and Zhang Guodong will now set off to the front line, and when the Lu army and Cheng Department fall into a melee, they will respond from the rear." Sun Jinkui's division was personally commanded by me, as the general reserve, to solve the Lu army at one time! Then order Qu Fengtong on the Western Front, and you can act. ”