March 20, the 16th year of the Republic of China, at 10:20 a.m.

On the military column going north. Luo Yaoguo was sitting in his box at this moment, his eyes widened, his mouth was open, and he had a frightened expression on his face. He still clutched a draft of the telegram in his hand, as if he was frightened by some bad news!

"General Luo, what news are you afraid of like this?"

A stiff English with a German accent sounded. The man who said this was a tall German with a wrinkled face and a pair of small but spiritual blue eyes, and he was Guderian! One of the German [***] advisers who accompanied the army this time. In the past few months since he came to China, he and Luo Yaoguo have become very familiar. He and Ann were classmates at the Grossrichfield Senior Military Academy, and the two had a good relationship. So after arriving in China, he borrowed to live in An Sihua's house, and naturally he could often come into contact with An Sihua's brother-in-law Luo Yaoguo. And...... Luo Yaoguo also showed unusual enthusiasm for him, a god-level figure in Germany in World War II, so the two hit it off at first sight.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Got bad news and got a bit of a gaffe. Luo Yaoguo seemed to be dragged out of fear by Guderian's voice, glanced at the great military strategist in front of him who seemed to be a little too curious, and smiled bitterly: "It's really bad luck to meet Zhang Xueliang when I go north this time." ”

"Zhang Xueliang? Is he an enemy? Guderian was stunned, this name doesn't seem to be Russian?

"If only he were an enemy! It's a pity that he is our Supreme Commander this time! He is the son of Zhang Zuolin, the big warlord in the north, and this time the war of resistance against Russia will be blindly commanded by him. Luo Yaoguo shook his head with a smile. I really didn't expect that I would have to fight under the command of Zhang Xueliang! And there is no Zhang Xueliang without Guo Songling...... Guderian furrowed his eyebrows, and the image of an oriental-faced gentleman appeared in his mind. However, Guderian didn't know how powerful Young Marshal Zhang was, so he quickly smiled indifferently, waved his hand and said, "Let's not care about these things that can't be changed, let's see how we should make a battle plan." Major Rommel and I took a cursory study of the situation of the war. Seem...... It's not entirely hopeless, either. The key is to adopt the right deployment and tactics. This time the battlefield is northeastern China, where the border with Russia is 3,000 kilometers long, and the number of troops required to fully defend such a long border will be very large. In fact, neither side has such troops. ”

“…… At present, the troops dispatched by the Feng army are only a little hundred thousand, and if they want to divide their forces, they will easily be broken by the Russians who have taken the strategic initiative. The only viable defense is to concentrate your forces and break through your opponent's path. From what we know about the Russians, they should also attack from different directions in several directions...... As long as we take advantage of the advantages of fighting on the internal front, give full play to the role of the convenient transportation network in northeast China, and quickly mobilize troops, we should be able to defeat each of them. ”

Luo Yaoguo straightened up, listened carefully to every word Guderian said, and nodded with a smile as he listened, expressing his approval. In fact, Luo Yaoguo's opinion is indeed the same as Guderian's, which is probably the same as what the hero sees! After feeling very brazenly and proudly in his heart, he raised his doubts: "Mr. Guderian, how do you know that the combat effectiveness of the Soviet Red Army is compared to our 18th Division?" If the two sides have the same number of troops in a head-on encounter, what are our chances of winning? ”

Guderian smiled: "I also don't understand how strong the Red Army is now...... However, if you want to change to the ordinary Russian [***] team in the European war to meet your 18th Division, you will definitely lose without twice the number of troops. In fact, their combat effectiveness is not too strong, but their territory is vast and the population is large. ”

Probably due to the poor performance of the Russians in World War I and the defeat of the Great ** in the Soviet-Polish War a few years ago, most of these German advisers did not look down on the combat effectiveness of the Soviet Red Army. However, Luo Yaoguo knew that the Red Army was actually still very strong, and now the national strength of the Soviet Union had gradually begun to recover, and the outstanding officers who had experienced World War I and the Civil War were still alive...... "If the army of old Russia can fight with our 18th Division 2 to 1, then the combat effectiveness of the Soviet Red Army will at least double, that is, 1 to 1." And the Feng army ...... I understand that their combat effectiveness is at most equivalent to 30 percent of that of our National Revolutionary Army, and if they are replaced by a reinforced unit like the 18th Division, it is impossible to understand that it is only 20 percent or even lower than ours. ”

Luo Yaoguo shook his head, his expression slightly solemn. This time the battle was played by the Feng army, and they used their combat effectiveness to confront the current Soviet Red Army, and the consequence was only to make people debunk the true face of the paper tiger. Historically, Ishihara seems to have discovered that the Northeast Army was vulnerable in the Middle East Road War, and began to promote the September 18 incident. I don't know, how are the paper tigers preparing this time?

…… Tonight's Dongjiaomin Lane Banxi Public Official, there is a bright light. In the spacious hall, the candlesticks are high, and the dining table is arranged in a hollow shape. Two geisha with thick pink makeup on their faces holding shamisen (shamisen) play melodious music.

The table is filled with sumptuous dishes such as Kobe Frost Beef, Hashidate's Tempura, Osaka's Okuden, tuna sashimi, tamago, herring sushi, and vermilion lacquer tableware.

Rihachiro Sakanishi, dressed in a loose kimono, knelt on the main seat in the middle. On either side of him are two beloved disciples, Seishiro Itagaki and Kenji Dohihara. Sitting opposite Hansai was a middle-aged man with a serious expression, a compelling gloom in his eyes, a thin body, but sitting unusually tall. Like Hansai and others, he is also dressed in a kimono and casual clothes.

The four devils were eating and chatting at this time, and the content of the topic was not only some anecdotes seen in northern China, but also the Fengjun and the Sino-Soviet conflict.

Banxi took a sip of sake lightly, and looked at the middle-aged man opposite with a smile: "Ishihara-kun came from afar this time, it's really hard." I wonder how Ishihara-kun felt after seeing the various divisions of the Fengjun? ”

He's Ishihara! The worst villain surnamed Ishihara among myself is, of course, Ishihara Waner. He, Kenji Dohihara, and Seishiro Itagaki can be listed as the Three Treasures of the invasion of China. If it weren't for him, the Kwantung Army in history wouldn't have been able to make up their minds to occupy the Northeast all of a sudden, right?

Ishihara Wan'er put out a humble smile on his face, and bowed to the old-timer opposite: "Your Excellency, my feeling about Fengjun is weak, very weak. It's hard for me to imagine that such a weak Feng army would dare to provoke the Soviet Union, and I'm afraid that your Excellency's merits are indispensable in this, right? ”

Banxi smiled and waved his hand: "It's not a meritorious service, these are just my responsibilities, it's a pity...... This responsibility will not be fulfilled for a few days. After this battle of Fengsu, it was time for me to transfer to the reserves. It's a pity that I dare not go to the good times. ”

"Your Excellency is just serving His Majesty the Emperor in another way." Ishihara just smiled slightly, and then turned the topic back to the Fengsu War: "Excuse me, Your Excellency, what kind of ending should be fought for in this Fengsu War that is the most favorable?" ”

Banxi also only smiled and asked rhetorically: "I would like to hear the opinion of you, a famous strategist of Lu University, on this question. ”

Hearing the word "strategist", Ishihara's face showed a faint smugness. He nodded and said, "Before talking about this issue, it is necessary to understand the current situation in China. In the past two years, the country has undergone earth-shaking changes...... The development of the southern branch seems to have exceeded all expectations! This shows that although China has been weakened for decades, their potential is still not comparable to that of our island nation. ”

Speaking of this, everyone present, including the two geisha with white faces, were slightly stunned. Ishihara glanced at everyone and smiled slightly: "But the empire is not without a chance...... It's just that some of the original strategies are no longer applicable. Fortunately, the empire is not the only one with ambitions for China today. The bear in the north has never given up its aggression against China, and both the tsar and the current revolutionary are virtuous. ”

“…… A strong Southern Branch was not only an obstacle to the rise of the empire, but also a threat to the realization of the Soviet Union's ambitions...... What's more, the Soviet Union and Russia were the countries that ceded the most territory from China! Will a strong China pass up the opportunity to take revenge...... Therefore, in this Feng-Soviet war, the most beneficial outcome for the empire is to make the Soviet Union realize the threat after the rise of the Southern Branch! Thus moving on to working with the Empire. ”

"And the Soviet ...... Cooperative melon branch? Sakanishi's brow furrowed tightly, as if he was not very happy with such an outcome.

But Ishihara shook his head violently: "The empire only needs Manchuria...... All other territories were ceded to the Soviet Union. Let the Soviet Union and the Kuomintang in the southern branch lose both. Wait for the empire to digest Manchuria before making plans. However, in order to achieve the goal of cooperating with the Soviet Union, we should do everything possible to help the Kuomintang troops from the southern branch in this Feng-Soviet war, so that they can teach the Soviet Union a hard lesson. It is necessary to let the Soviets see the potential of China, and at the same time, let them see that once Ben joins hands with Nanzhi, it is absolutely possible to defeat the Soviet Union in the Far East and thus carve up the eastern territory of the Soviet Union! ”

As soon as these lofty remarks came out, the atmosphere in the room froze at once. All you can hear is the melodious music played by the shamisen. The three of Banxi, Doihara and Itagaki were all stunned, and they were afraid that they would not be able to digest the plan proposed by Ishihara Waner at once. To be honest, the plan is a bit complicated.

"The ultimate goal of the empire...... Is it a joint melon branch with the Soviet Union? After a long silence, Rihachiro Sakanishi asked hesitantly.

Ishihara frowned slightly and shook his head: "The ultimate enemies of the empire are still the Soviet Union and ...... United States. So it's not worth spending too much effort on the branch. If it can seize Manchuria and then bring the Soviet Union into conflict with China, it is the best policy for the empire to seize the opportunity to use the rich resources of Manchuria to develop heavy industry and accumulate strength for the future decisive battles between the Soviet Union and the United States. ”

…… Yanjing Qianmen Railway Station. A large group of neatly robed figures had gathered on the platform. There is also a painted archway around the platform. A neatly draped guard of honor of the Feng army was neatly lined up on the platform in three horizontal columns, holding the military flag of the Feng army, and all the soldiers were carrying 38-style rifles on their shoulders and standing quietly.

A long train had stopped next to the platform, and the door of one of the carriages was wide open. Several Chinese officers dressed in military uniforms were walking down from the carriage talking and laughing. The noble dignitaries of the Feng Department who were waiting under the platform also stepped forward to shake hands with them one by one and greet them. It turned out that this was a welcoming ceremony held by the Central Committee of the Feng Department for the [***] Staff Corps going north, including Zhang Xueliang, the commander-in-chief of the War of Resistance on the Middle East Road -- Zhang Xueliang, the tour envoy of the three eastern provinces, Zeng Qi, the premier of the Republic of China, Yang Yuting, the general staff member of the Feng Army, and Jiang Dengxuan, the commander of the Northeast Frontier Army. It can be said that it has given enough face to the Kuomintang and Luo Yaoguo.

At this time, Luo Yaoguo was holding General Zhang Xueliang's hand tightly, and the two of them were full of spring breeze, and they couldn't talk more cordially. It looks like I can't wait to set up an incense case right away so that I can kowtow and bow to the handle.

"Okay, this time it is our Chinese factions that are truly united with the outside world, and our central government has already made up its mind to fight a good war with Soviet Russia this time."

Zhang Xueliang took Luo Yaoguo's hand and strolled to the limousine parked on the platform, and talked eloquently: "If we win this battle, no one in the world will dare to despise us in the future, and we will be able to rejuvenate China." ”

"Yes, this battle is indeed a matter of national fortune. Even if we were able to play an inextricable draw with the Soviet Union, no one in the world would dare to despise China in the future, right? At that time, the North may also be able to restore tariff autonomy, and then settle down and develop well. In this way, if we join hands with the North and the South to resist the strong invaders and defend our sovereignty, there will be hope for the country......"

Luo Yaoguo's words are not all clichés, they are really sincere. He really hopes that Feng Jun can lose a little better, otherwise he will let him see your reality and truth, and the next day will probably be difficult, right? However, looking at Zhang Shaoshuai's confident face, and then looking at Zeng Qi and Yang Yuting on the side, they all had worried faces, I'm afraid that this trouble will be a big deal.

As soon as the door of the sedan was closed. Luo Yaoguo couldn't wait to ask Zhang Xueliang beside him: "Young marshal, how is the preparation of the Central Army (Fengjun) this time?" If anything...... We in the Kuomintang can find a way to help raise some money. ”

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Xueliang was slightly stunned. Listening to the other party's meaning, it seems that he has no confidence in Fengjun! How to tune with Yang Yuting and Zeng Qi?

"The central authorities have made all preparations for the resumption of sovereignty over the Middle East Road this time, and began to train the Northeast Frontier Army and build border fortifications last summer. The border guards we have trained this time have been trained by our military advisers in accordance with the training standards of the army, and they are definitely elite. Moreover, we have also built national fortifications at important points along the northeastern border, and when the time comes, our border guards will hold a solid position to resist the Soviet army, and there will be hundreds of thousands of reinforcements from us behind, which will naturally be a sure victory. ”

The tactical guiding ideology of the Feng army is wishful thinking, building fortifications in dangerous places above the border, and matching elite officers and soldiers. Then they sat and waited for the Soviet Red Army to hit their heads upward, and then sent the main force to counterattack after they hit their heads and broke the blood, so that they could win a big victory. The idea...... It is completely French-style wishful thinking, considering that Zhang Shaoshuai prefers France, it is completely understandable to have this kind of thinking.

"Then how many guns does the central Northeast Frontier Army have, and how many strongholds are defending?" Luo Yaoguo already knew this answer, but ...... can't show it in front of Zhang Xueliang. Uh, that's a military secret! Although China said that the military leaders of the three countries on the Soviet Union already knew about it.

Zhang Xueliang smiled heavily and replied triumphantly: "There are 50,000 border guards!" All kinds of weapons and equipment are not inferior to the Yue army, organized into ten mixed brigades, all of which are equipped with artillery, in addition to a reading heavy artillery unit, equipped with heavy cannons imported from the Yue Ben. Ten mixed brigades were now deployed in the ten most important strongholds on the Sino-Soviet border, and they were well fortified. This battle is indeed foolproof. ”

Faced with Zhang Xueliang's exaggerated elaboration, Luo Yaoguo cursed fiercely in his heart. He is now the head of the staff committee! I'm here to help you plan and command the battle! How come it is that we can't even get accurate information about the strength and equipment of the Feng army? Seemingly...... I have to ask Yoshiko Kawashima for it.

"I don't know...... How is the young marshal going to arrange for our [***] Eighteenth Division? Luo Yaoguo still had a smile on his face, looking at Zhang Xueliang and asking questions.

Zhang Xueliang still replied with a smile: "I have already discussed this question with the consultants. This time, there are three armies participating in the war, our Central Army, you [***] and Wu Ziyu's Third Division of the Direct Army. In the past, these three aspects were not subordinate to each other, and they had little experience in coordinated operations. So our idea is to organize your 18th Division and Yushuai's 3rd Division into a road, and the staff group and Yushuai and his old man you brought will be in charge of the command, and they will be responsible for one aspect alone. However, the specific responsibility will be decided after the parties have discussed, and there are ...... Ishihara's advisors will be dedicated to assisting you in your battle with Tamarsah. ”

Ishihara Advisor? Luo Yaoguo was stunned for a moment, and said in his heart: "Could it be Ishihara Wan'er?" Yes, I have a large collection of fascist military experts along the way, including Guderian, Rommel, Richschhofen (aviation advisers), and now there is another Ishihara Waner! You should be able to compete with General Galen in terms of command, right? ”

(To be continued)