The iron cavalry of Fusang galloped in the land of Qilu, and the capital also made a fuss about the Shandong incident. The Cabinet www.biquge.info divided into two factions on the Shandong issue. One faction resolutely advocated fighting the Fusang people to the end and not allowing Fusang to invade China's territory. The other part of the parliamentarians advocated cooperation with Fuso to resolve the Shandong issue through diplomatic means.

Among the people, anti-Fuso voices gradually gained the upper hand. Some stores dealing in Fuso goods have taken the initiative to remove Fuso products from their shelves. There are already a few Fuso merchants who have been hit with black bricks or smashed glass. Jiang Zongchao urgently mobilized troops to launch a special operation on the issue of public order in the capital, but the effect was not obvious.

As the supreme power of the republic, it was impossible for Yuan Weiting to ignore this, and convened several emergency meetings in a row to discuss the issue of peace and war. Yuan Weiting behaved very toughly, and seemed to have made up his mind to fight to the death with the Orientals. War Minister Duan Zhiquan and Navy Minister Liu Guanyun were all called in and asked to come up with a feasible combat plan.

As Xu Shuzheng expected, after Duan Zhiquan handed in the battle plan with Shandong as an imaginary enemy, he was really hit head-on and was ordered to think about it behind closed doors for two months. However, that night, Tang Tianxi sent a check of 5,000 yuan from the president, saying that it was for his medical needs. It was not until this Shandong crisis that he was officially reinstated and came out again to perform his duties.

Ju Rentang was arranged like a temporary headquarters, exquisite porcelain and calligraphy and paintings, replaced by maps and sand tables, and Yuan Weiting was dressed in uniform and full of anger.

"The Japanese have deceived me too much! They were fighting with Prussia, but they wanted to invade the territory of the Communists, not to mention, the Prussian army in Shandong had been disarmed, Jiaozhou Bay had been recovered by the Communists, and Fusang was invaded at the same time. Where is the authority of public international law? What is the order of world civilization? The ministers of various countries will certainly denounce him verbally and penally and accuse him of unrighteous acts. Our generation of soldiers should hold a shield and defend their homeland. Zhiquan, you are the Minister of the Army, and I will ask you first. You see, how many troops we can mobilize in a week, and how many follow-up troops we can mobilize in the future. I ask you to come up with a practical battle plan to defend Shandong and defend Gonghe by force! ”

Duan Zhiquan stood up and saluted, "The great president Mingjian, after seeing the news of Fusang's dispatch in the newspaper, he was also filled with righteous indignation. As a warrior, he can't defend his family and the country, he really has no face to stand between heaven and earth, and he can't immediately lead troops to aid Lu and sacrifice his life for the country. However, Shu Zhiquan made it clear that according to the deduction of the humble position at home, even if the army of our communist army transferred back to the southern towns and sent the elite of the six towns in Beiyang to Shandong to launch the Battle of Shandong, it would only be able to fight with the Fusang people for 48 hours. Forty-eight hours later...... It can only be defeated. Shandong's resistance could last up to a month and a half, and eventually retain about one-fifth of the province's territory. This also includes mountains, villages, and wastelands that are not of any strategic importance. ”

"I have a total of 1.2 million troops, and you tell me that I can only fight with the Fuso people for forty-eight hours? Duan Zhiquan, if you said this in the Congress, you can already write your resignation report! ”

Duan Zhiquan looked ashamed:

"Humble and incompetent! With the intensification of the Taixi War, it became more and more difficult for us to purchase foreign arms, and the War Department had a huge shortage of ordnance every month, and the two manufacturing bureaus in Jinmen and Jiangnan, which were left over from the former Jinmen, basically lost their functions because of the war. Most of the machines are missing, new machines have been procured for a long time, and there has been a massive loss of skilled workers, with production capacity only 20 percent of that of the pre-golden era. At present, munitions can only be manufactured by two arsenals in Shandong and Gongxian. In the past six months, the War Department has not been able to order arms from the Shandong Arsenal, and the weapons produced by the Gongxian Arsenal alone, plus the existing ammunition, cannot support a large-scale war. Although the Republican Army has 1.2 million troops, its combat strength is far from that number, and its weapons and ammunition are far from sufficient. Not to mention, it is impossible for us to concentrate all our land forces on Shandong to fight, it is simply impossible. ”

Yuan Weiting's face sank like water, and his eyes glared at Duan Zhiquan, "You mean, if you work together, you can't keep Shandong?" You just let me tell the people like this, and just give an explanation to the people of the world? ”

"Humble and incompetent, please punish the president!" Duan Zhiquan decisively took off his hat and made an attitude of waiting to be dealt with at any time.

Finance Minister Zhou Zhi'an coughed: "President, let me say a word." I am a literati and I don't know anything about military affairs, but I also know that in all battles, military pay comes first. But today's Ministry of Finance ...... I really can't afford to support a war. You have already seen the income and expenditure report of the main government for the previous year. Since the beginning of the spring, there has been no reduction in expenditure items, but the account entry is only 40% of last year's level. The main reason is that the major banks no longer provide loans to the government, and the issuance of public bonds is not satisfactory. Only the income from the railways and taxes can barely maintain the operation of the government. Employees are generally in arrears for more than four months, and the departments that pay salaries are only half of the rated salaries. Last year, in order to let everyone have a New Year, the Ministry of Finance had used the last emergency funds to barely pay salaries. Recently, Zhengjin Bank agreed to negotiate a loan with us, and if this loan is negotiated, I think Zhengfu's expenses for the first half of the year will be settled. If there is an all-out war with Fuso now, the loan of Zhengjin Bank will inevitably fail, and there will be a major crisis in our future operation. ”

Liang Shiyi, the Minister of Transportation, who raised tens of millions of yuan because of the monopoly of the mortgage film, was able to regain the employment of the Minister of Transportation, also said at this time: "President, it is time for our public debt to be repaid." If the interest cannot be paid on time, the next issue of public bonds will also face great difficulties. ”

Liu Guanyun, Minister of the Navy, said: "Since the founding of the Republic, the navy has been in name only, although there is a fleet establishment, but the warships under its jurisdiction are all inherited from the old ships left over from the former Jin era. The hulls of these warships were old and unbearable, and they had been badly damaged in the previous battles. The provinces of the Republic, with the strongest navy in Shandong, had three purchased steamships and a considerable number of sail gunboats. However, the Shandong Navy has its own system and is not under the command of the Admiralty. The second and fourth fleets of Fuso choke our north and south and prevent our navy from coming to the north. If we insist on going to war, our Fujian military port will bear the brunt and will be attacked by the Fuso navy. If we combine our current naval forces to engage in a general battle with the Fuso Navy, within an hour, our navy will inevitably be completely annihilated. Dare to ask the president to reserve a little seed for the Confederate Navy. If there is a need for sacrifice, the humble position is willing to follow the example of Sun in Shandong and lead the veteran sailors to go on the expedition, so that all the young people can live. ”

Lu Zhengxiang said: "President, under the current situation, it is really the best policy to solve the Shandong problem by force, and international affairs should be constrained by international forces. He has already contacted the ministers of Albion and Capet to consult with them on a peaceful settlement of the Shandong issue. In the humble view, as a first step, we should declare external neutrality. The Lu army was ordered to withdraw from the existing fortifications and not to clash with the Fuso. At the same time, a neutral zone was demarcated, and Fuso soldiers were strictly ordered not to enter the neutral zone to cause trouble. At the same time, when our troops withdraw from their positions, the Fuso side must cease fire and wait for our safe retreat before they can enter the station. The above points can also be found in the public law of all nations, and I believe that they can be supported by all countries. After the Fusang occupied Jiaozhou Bay...... There is probably no excuse for expanding the conflict. ”

Yuan Weiting looked at Secretary of State Xu Juren, "Bu Wu, you say a few words." Although the republic is a presidential system, you, as the secretary of state, are also responsible to the Congress, and I would like to hear your opinion. ”

After all, Xu Juren, who became the second minister, seemed to be in a trance, and only after a long time did he say a nonsensical word: "Zhi'an, I have a few nephews in my hometown, and I just came back from studying in Taixi." Their talents are very good, but they can't find a job for a while, do you have any vacancies in the Ministry of Finance recently, help me pay attention. ”

Yuan Weiting's face turned red and white, and after a long time, he slammed the table, "Gonghe!" It is said that after the republic, the country will be rich and strong, and it will not be afraid of foreign insults! However, after the reunification, the foreign insult became more intense, and the co-operation came and went, and it became what it is now. All the princes sitting here, self-surrender, everyone, need to introspect! Zhiquan and Zhengxiang, the two of you stay, and the others can leave. ”

After walking out of Juren Hall, Zhou Zhi'an took out a handkerchief, wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and said to Xu Ju with some complaints: "Bu Weng, it's nothing if you want to arrange people, give me the list, and I'll arrange it for you." You can do this job by arranging an errand, and you still need to use what you just said? If the president loses his temper, how can you eat it? ”

Xu Juren sneered: "I don't say this, what do you say?" I don't care about the military, the second is finance, and the third is about diplomacy, what can I say? As for the Congress, the 800 Arhats are 800 monkeys, and no one can control them, and I, the Secretary of State, am nothing in their eyes, and no one can control them. Now there is a proposal in the parliament to vote to replace the Shandong Overseer. Now that this is the case, do you need to ask me what I think? Naturally, it's more useful to do something serious, this list is for you, and please bother dude. ”

"Yi Du? It's absolutely impossible! When there were only three people left in Ju Rentang, Yuan Weiting's expression was very different from Fang Cai, although there was still anger on his face, Duan Zhiquan vaguely felt that there was a bit of excitement and joy in the look of this great president. It seems that he is not as distressed by the situation in Shandong as he appears.

Thinking back to the analysis of the think tank, he probably knew it in his heart. By taking advantage of this incident, the president actually wants to attack the communist system, blaming the Shandong problem on the communist system, and then propagating a system that is superior to the communist system.

Although Lu Zhengxiang is the foreign minister, he has also heard about the situation in the Congress, and the idea that the parliamentarians are preparing to replace the Shandong overseers is a report made by him. He groaned and said, "Minister Tiele has also expressed his stance that if Zhao Guanshuai is transferred to other provinces to serve as an overseer, Tiele is willing to come forward and exert pressure on Fusang......"

"Old tricks, ignore them." Yuan Weiting unceremoniously interrupted Lu Zhengxiang's words: "In the pre-Jin era, these people said so, and now there is no progress at all. No matter whether the pressure exerted by the Tiele people succeeds or not, a piece of our meat will always be dug up by them. Guanhou sheltered the princess of Tiele in Shandong, this is a very good chess move, the more the Tiele people want us to be easy to supervise, the more it shows that they are timid, and the more we can't do what they think. It's not that I don't know about these small actions that Tiele people are doing inside and out, but I don't have time to care about them for the time being. When the Shandong issue is over, it will be time to settle accounts with them. ”

He paused for a moment, and then said: "Besides, now that Prussia and Tiele don't know when the war will start, he will not be able to take care of himself at that time, how can he have the energy to put pressure on Fuso." This relationship cannot be counted on, and this precedent cannot be opened. ”

Duan Zhiquan blessed his soul and suddenly understood the key to this. If the intervention of the Congress or foreigners can replace the overseers of a province, will not even the head of state be subject to the will of the Congress, or foreign powers? He immediately said: "Yes, although I am not an opponent of Fuso, I will not bow to Tiele. When our national strength is strong, we are willing to take a brigade of elite soldiers to rush to the outside of the pass to ask the Tiele people for the return of the country. ”

"It's enough to have a heart, and the future will be talked about in the future, first for now. The outsider neutrality that Zhengxiang mentioned seems to be the only feasible approach at present. However, the division of the neutral zone and the future sovereignty of Shandong need to be negotiated with the Fusang people before Zhengxiang comes up with a draft agreement. In addition, even if we can't send troops to intervene, we can't say nothing. Zhiquan, you send a telegram to Shandong, asking Guanhou to transfer the machinery and equipment of the Shandong Arsenal to the Gongxian Arsenal as soon as possible. So many Taixi equipment, all of them are people's fat and people's ointment, and they must not fall into the hands of Fusang people! ”

In Fengyun's class, Cai Feng and Xiao Afeng played black and white chess pieces, and it seemed that the two of them were concentrating, and it seemed that they had reached a critical place. But if someone comes forward to take a closer look, they will find that the position of the chess pieces is chaotic and out of order, and no matter which national player is a famous player, they can't understand what the two are playing.

The sunspot in Cai Feng's hand fell, and he suddenly shook his head again, and put a large piece of chess pieces away, "No...... It shouldn't be this way. Damn, there is too little information to be learned, and what is seen in the newspapers does not show the real picture, and the difference is a thousand miles. ”

Xiao Afeng saw that he was anxious, and his heart became very anxious, "General Songpo, don't worry. There are some people from the War Department who will come to Fengyun in the evening, so I'll ask them. ”

"No need. Since you hate them, you don't have to go against your will to socialize, although Cai can't be rewarded with a thousand gold, but with my name, you can always guarantee that you don't have to receive hated guests. The situation in Shandong can only be known and analyzed. ”

Xiao Afeng asked: "From the general's point of view, how long can Shandong support?" ”

"I thought two months was the limit. But now it seems that if it was a simple defense, the defeat should be within a month. This has nothing to do with command, but is caused by the overall trend. Zhao Guanhou and Duan Zhiquan, Zhou Zhi'an and others all have suspicions. He is destined to be unable to receive financial support, and there will be problems with arms assistance. Although he was nominally patrolling the Liangjiang, Feng Yuzhang was in Jiangning, and it was impossible for him to take out his own strength and put it in Shandong, so the assistance he could get from the Liangjiang was actually very limited. ”

"That means, soon, we're going to lose again?"

"Not necessarily." Cai Feng showed a smile on his face and pointed to the chessboard, "I mean, if it's defense, about a month is the limit." But if Zhao Guanhou didn't think about it from the beginning, the situation would be very different. If Shandong concentrates its forces and takes offense as defense, it may be able to achieve a good result. ”

He looked out the door and said to himself: "To save the enemy country, after all, there is no win or loss, and if you can hold on and not give in, it is enough to be considered a good man, and it is worthy of me to make him a friend." Ah Feng, please help me buy a ticket for five days. ”

Xiao Afeng asked, "Don't wait for the battle to end?" ”

"Don't wait. I think when I get to Yunnan, I can see the end. When he met Zhao Guanhou in the future, whether he praised him or scolded him, it depends on the events of the past few days. ”

Xiao Afeng is a red man, and he has enough relationships, so it is not difficult to buy a ticket. When she went to the phone to find someone, Cai Feng whispered: "Zhao Guanhou...... Looking forward to fighting you, Beiyang generals, only you are qualified to be my opponent. Fight hard and fight for the communist soldiers to come back. Also, don't die, keep this life, and the two of us will have a good battle for a few rounds in the future. (To be continued.) )