Yuan Shikai repeatedly wanted to meet Chen Wenqiang but was politely refused, and his heart was even more anxious, and what he was worried about finally happened.

Zhang Huaizhi, the fifth town of Beiyang, which was trapped in the vicinity of Guilin, lacked ammunition and ran out of food, so he could only rely on local fund-raising to barely support. Even so, in order to ensure safety, the revolutionary army still had to keep troops guarded, which invisibly reduced the strength of the northern offensive.

As soon as Chen Wenqiang learned of Yuan Shikai's inner plan, he immediately sent a telegram to the provisional government, demanding that the fifth town be solved immediately, and then send troops north to promote peace by war.

The battle plan had been drawn up long ago, and as the commander-in-chief of the Southwest Theater, Ge Zhichu took action as soon as he received the order.

Hengyang's Cai Yi led the mixed association out of Yongzhou, Kunming's Wu Zhaolin's eighth town in Hubei into Hechi, the sixth mixed association of the Guangdong New Army out of Hezhou, and the ninth mixed association of the Guinan Revolutionary Army in Liuzhou, which began to shrink the encirclement from all sides and launched a full-scale attack on the fifth town.

As a member of the passive revolution, Zhang Biao, the commander of the Eighth Town, was unable to control the increasingly focused Hubei generals, and he was also afraid of being shot by the unrevealed revolutionary elements in the army. In addition, many of Li Yuanhong's students also served as officers in the Eighth Town, such as Wu Zhaolin, and he had to prevent these people from being co-opted by Li Yuanhong and disadvantageous to him.

Therefore, when the provisional government hired him as a senior adviser, Zhang Biao got off the donkey, dispelled the idea of occupying the land as the king, left the eighth town, and transferred to Guangzhou to take up his post. Another important reason why Zhang Biao was willing to submit to the law was that his family and property in Hubei had not been violated and confiscated, even if he did not hold an official position, with years of accumulation, it was more than enough to be a rich man (historically, Zhang Biao stepped down after the Xinhai Revolution and bought 20 acres of land in the Japanese concession in Tianjin. The "Zhang Garden" was built. He also built a three-story building in "Zhang Yuan", named "Pingyuan Building").

Wu Zhaolin, who is the fruitful result of Zhang Zhidong's military study system, is one of the nearly 20,000 students in the three towns of Wuhan, a disciple of Li Yuanhong, and once worshipped the Japanese instructor Zhu Fang Dazuo as his teacher. Devoted to the study of staff officers. Although he was only a mid-level officer in the Eighth Town of the New Army. But his military prowess was well known in Eighth Town, and even Mr. Huang Yanpei praised him for having "some faith."

Moreover, Wu Zhaolin had already received a secret letter from his teacher Li Yuanhong, and decided to join the provisional government and give full play to his talents.

In the new army of the eighth town, everyone knew that Wu Zhaolin had strong military ability, and everyone obeyed him. However, Wu Zhaolin had a unique skill in vain, and he was not recognized in the new army of the Eighth Town, and he could not find a place to use it. What made Wu Zhaolin's heart fire the most. It is the ruler of Zhang Biao. He has great ability, but his official position is very small, while Zhang Biao has very little ability, but his official position is the highest.

Such a stark comparison, if Wu Zhaolin doesn't have the slightest feeling in his heart, it is unless he is a wooden man. This strong feeling should be just an unspeakable humiliation.

However, this Great Qing Kingdom is such a fucking appearance. Talented and capable are humiliated and suppressed. Those who have no ability are above Qingyun, let alone Wu Zhaolin. Even his teacher Li Yuanhong could only swallow his anger in front of Zhang Biao.

The revolution and chaos finally gave people who felt injustice and injustice under the old system a chance to vent, or rather express. Li Yuanhong was the first, and was co-ordinated by a mixed association. rose to the rank of Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army; Wu Zhaolin also became the new control of the eighth town.

If Zhang Biao didn't know the current affairs, would Wu Zhaolin kill him and replace him? Believe, kill Zhang Biao, this bastard! Wu Zhaolin shouted like this more than once in his heart. Anger is suppressed in my heart. The more depressed it is, the more intense it becomes, and nine times out of ten it will be so intense that it gets out of control.

But hypothetical is hypothetical, Wu Zhaolin is a new official and is eager to show himself. Moreover, the officers and soldiers of the Eighth Town were also told that as long as the Fifth Town of Beiyang was resolved, they would be able to embark on the return journey and return to their hometown Hubei.

The revolutionary armies of the various departments, which had been replenished with supplies, had sufficient ammunition and high morale, and the sudden all-out attack caught the fifth town of Beiyang off guard, and the peripheral positions were lost one after another, and the main forces continued to retreat and gather in the city of Guilin.

The news of the onslaught on the Fifth Town had been tightly sealed, the cable telegraph had long been cut off, and the Fifth Town had lost contact with the Beiyang headquarters for several months. In the past, it was only with the permission of the revolutionary army that there could be an exchange of letters. Now, they can only fend for themselves in the fierce attack.

"Boom!" In the explosion, a heavy machine gun was overturned, and Zhang Huaizhi clearly saw that flesh and broken machine gun parts were thrown into the air along with smoke and dirt.

Three airships flew slowly in the sky, dropping bombs and flyers with the shrill roar of death, leaving flesh, corpses, rotten guns, rags, and scraps of paper on the ground...... The positions of the revolutionary army poured shells on this place, gunsmoke, explosions, fire, screams, loud noises...... Flooding the battlefield.

Ma Liang, the commander of the Ninth Association, struggled to push away the guards lying on his body, this loyal subordinate, who was also his own distant clansman, used his body to block the shrapnel of the bomb, and now his eyes were wide open, covered in blood, and he was dead.

"It's over, it's over." Ma Liang sat on the ground, looking at the chaotic battlefield, where the airship flew, the soldiers fled in shock, whether they were exposed to the enemy's bullets or not, the uncontrollable panic had made it impossible for the soldiers to be quiet and follow orders. Even the officers were at a loss and helpless against the attack from the air.

If there is enough ammunition, if there is no shortage of food, if there is friendly support, if not in this south-western land...... Countless assumptions flashed through Zhang Huaizhi's mind, but they were all in vain. It was already too late, the Fifth Town of Beiyang had lost its time, place, and people, and they were not defeated by the real battle, but they had no ammunition and were mentally destroyed, completely losing the combat power that the Beiyang Army should have. What is the difference between a troop that has no will to fight and a rabble?

"Retreat, retreat to the south of the city." Ma Liang staggered to his feet, grabbed one of the guards, and hissed.

In fact, there is no need for him to give orders, and the momentum of the rout of the Beiyang Army is becoming more and more obvious.

Zhang Huaizhi's head was in chaos, and he fled south in panic under the escort of several personal soldiers. The war horse was killed in the first round of bombardment by the airship. If you don't ride a horse, don't carry a command knife, and don't take a group of staff officers to point fingers on the battlefield. Won't the airship chase itself and bomb it? Yes, there are also heavy machine guns and artillery, which are also key targets for airship bombing. He was thinking wildly, he tripped under his feet, and just stood up with the support of his own soldiers, there was another exclamation in his ears. "Run, the monster is coming......"

The revolutionary army on the opposite side and behind the flanks sounded their horns and launched a charge, and three airships flew around the battlefield, perhaps they had already dropped all their bombs, but they still had full deterrent power, chasing the terrified Beiyang Army soldiers from one side to the other like ducks. The defeat was like a mountain, and in the face of the overwhelmingly superior revolutionary army, the Beiyang Army, which had lost its fighting spirit, irrepressibly suffered a major rout.

Wu Zhaolin is indeed very positive. However, the most courageous was the Ninth Mixed Association of the Revolutionary Army, which was not only composed entirely of Guangxi soldiers, but also accumulated considerable experience in fighting the enemy in the southwest. Now it's a good fight, and it's even more murderous. The soldiers were unstoppable, staring roundly, roaring, shooting, and then slamming into the ranks of the enemy.

The warriors suddenly erupted in a monstrous roar. The Beiyang Army was in a very unfavorable situation, and the ammunition was almost exhausted. Psychologically collapsed, facing the bright bayonets, some screamed to speed up their escape, and some had weak feet, kneeling and kowtowing to beg for mercy.

The soldiers quickened their pace, and some of them pulled out their grenades more fiercely and threw them at the retreating crowd. "Boom!" The grenade exploded in the dense crowd. The enemy cried and cried out to his mother, leaving behind a dozen dead or wounded companions and continuing to run wildly.

The Sixth Mixed Association of the Guangdong New Army was personally formed and trained by Wu Luzhen, because many of the members of the Renaissance Association served as officers, and their role as pioneers was very prominent. However, their charge was more conservative, or rather more methodical. The formation is not chaotic, and the company and platoon are used as units, giving full play to the collective advantage.

The fierce expressions, angry roars, and bloody bayonets made the soldiers of the Beiyang Army feel a burst of creepy, and the rout quickly turned into an escape. But everywhere there were shouts of killing, explosions, and the enemy was caught in a net, running in vain under artillery fire and bullets, crying and wailing.

The enemy cried and began to throw away their weapons and flee in all directions, but where could they flee under the airtight encirclement? The desperate Beiyang Army constantly changed the direction of its escape, and each time it had to turn around and flee elsewhere. The white bayonets on the rifles of the revolutionary soldiers were very piercing, and the bayonets were also the most effective means of breaking the enemy's fighting spirit.

The final battle was not cruel, and Zhang Huaizhi wisely chose to surrender after the death of Ma Liang, the co-commander, and this order saved the lives of thousands of officers and soldiers of the Fifth Town. If the fight continues, the Fifth Town will really only be slaughtered with a burning stick without bullets. In the end, it is more efficient to abandon the guns of the formation than to surrender to individual troops.

The sun will set in the western sky, and the brilliant sunset will reflect the blood, mutilations, corpses, and bullets scattered all over the ground.

From the beginning to the end, two days and two nights of fighting, the fifth town of Beiyang was completely annihilated, and Guilin was recovered, announcing that there was no longer a formed enemy army in the south that could pose a threat.

The significance of this operation is not only to eliminate the enemy in a town, but also to verify the effect of airship bombing, and more importantly, to liberate tens of thousands of horses to go north to meet the battle.

The eighth town rushed to Wuchang from Yongzhou and Hengyang; The revolutionary army of the Western Yunnan Military Region took over Kunming and took full control of Yunnan; Cai led the mixed association into Sichuan, stabilized the situation in Sichuan, and took over as the commander of the Chengdu Military Region; The Sixth Mixed Association and the Ninth Mixed Association will go south to Qinzhou and will go north by boat to join the Jinan Military Region's operational sequence.

Using the peace talks as a smokescreen to prepare for a military settlement is not entirely a real intention, but can only be said to be a means to be used. In the final analysis, it was Yuan Shikai's outdated thinking that harmed the Fifth Town, and it could have been put back as a bargaining chip after the peace talks were successful. But now, it has become a victim of intimidating Yuan Shikai and promoting peace with war.

Just after Chen Wenqiang received a secret telegram and learned that the Fifth Town had been completely annihilated, one of the people he was waiting for also came to Tianjin and had a secret meeting with Chen Wenqiang.

Xu Shichang has been Yuan Shikai's adviser since Yuan Shikai's small station training. Although he has only been training in the small station for more than two years, he has been highly trusted and respected by Yuan Shikai as soon as he came, 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" to coordinate the training and education of the whole army, and achieved outstanding results and high prestige, thus establishing himself in the Beiyang Army second only to Yuan Shikai's position.

Later, Xu Shichang returned to the center and wanted to implement a new policy, but he was alone, so he tried his best to create public opinion and "help Yuan out of the mountain". When the revolution was launched, Xu Shichang took the opportunity to operate, forcing the Qing court to follow the six conditions of "going out of the mountain" discussed by Xu and Yuan, and awarded Yuan Shikai as the minister of the Qin Mission, and all the armies were under his control and went south to suppress the revolution.

Since then, Xu and Yuan have joined forces again, and Yuan began to sing the leading role, and the two have worked together perfectly and seamlessly. It can be said that Yuan Shikai's trilogy of going out of the mountain, forcing the palace, and taking power is directed by Xu Shichang. Among them, Duan Qirui took the lead, and dozens of Beiyang generals jointly signed a telegram to ask the Qing court to "establish a republican form of government, otherwise soldiers will follow", which was Xu Shichang's strategy.

It stands to reason that Xu Shichang has such a great achievement, and he will inevitably be reused by Yuan Shikai. However, surprisingly, Xu Shichang retreated bravely at this time and ran to Qingdao to live idlely.

On his way from Shanghai to Tianjin, Chen Wenqiang went to Qingdao to have secret talks with the German governor, and also visited Xu Shichang by the way. Not for anything else, Chen Wenqiang wanted to get some information from Yuan Shikai's first staff member to have a more comprehensive understanding of Yuan Shikai's personality and psychology. Although the goal was not fully achieved, Chen Wenqiang knew Xu Shichang's way of thinking and characteristics.

Why Xu Shichang chose to retreat bravely is because he has his unique thinking logic. He received the favor of the Qing court, but in fact, he helped Yuan, so he was in a dilemma, and he could only excuse himself because of "the country's change of grief and anger", resigned from the Taibao, and left Beijing to live idle, temporarily avoiding "temporary slander". If you immediately abandon the Qing report to Yuan, it is reasonable and reasonable, and it is difficult to say. And if you don't live in the office, you can also be regarded as a former Qing relict who lived up to the emperor's grace. Moreover, the current situation is still turbulent, and Yuan Shikai's throne is not stable, so it is better to be an "outsider" to wait and see the changes.

In Chen Wenqiang's view, Xu Shichang is not indifferent to fame and fortune, but wants to be comprehensive and hypocritical. But the result of two-sided curry favor is often counterproductive, often offending two-sided.

After meeting and talking with Yuan Shikai in Tianjin, Chen Wenqiang sent many telegrams to his subordinates in Qingdao. The so-called subordinates are naturally the secret organization of Longxingtang, or the agency that is about to be renamed the Intelligence Bureau.

Of course, Xu Shichang would not be willing to come to Tianjin, and Chen Wenqiang used underground forces to take this into account. If you don't come, you will be kidnapped, and if you don't come, you will threaten and intimidate, Chen Wenqiang believes in the methods of those Jianghu brothers.

Sure enough, when Chen Wenqiang met with Xu Shichang, he saw Xu Shichang's face full of resentment, as well as the two big men who accompanied him. (To be continued.) )