Among these people, Tao Rong, Li Wentian, and Li Sichi were the most shocked, in their impression, a cavalry army can have 20,000 or 30,000 people, it is not bad, the scale of 100,000 people they absolutely dare not imagine, 100,000 cavalry can be equipped with several times the infantry, although they know from the high salary of the Fourth Route Army that the Fourth Route Army is rich, and it is not ordinary rich, but it is still very unexpected to reach this level.

Although there are only two exercise demonstration brigades that can fight, these two brigades are organized according to the standard combat regiments of the Fourth Route Army, but they have changed their names, and each brigade has more than 7,000 people. This teaching corps is another division with a little addition.

In terms of weapons, they were even more surprised, and they would not have known without joining the Fourth Route Army. Only now in the Laiyuan troops, there are more than 300 75mm mountain guns, more than 120 heavy mortars of 180mm, more than 700 82mm mortars, and as for 60mm mortars, there are more. Now all the armies of the Central Army have guns of caliber or higher of 75mm combined, and there are not necessarily so many, although they have the financial support of the political axe.

Because the Central Army's demand for artillery is not very strong, their artillery equipment is not very large, at least Tao Rong and others have not heard that the Central Army has such a record of large-scale centralized use of artillery fire as the Fourth Route Army.

However, one thing is clear to them, that is, there are definitely not so many artillery pieces of the Gui system and the Northwest Army, and they will not have them even if they are added together, and it would be good to have a hundred or so guns. Even the best-equipped Northeast Army in China will not have so many artillery.

There are also planes, although they are eliminated by others, but they are 200, and if they are all put into use, no one can afford them. Although the Central Army, the Northeast Army, the Northwest Army, and the Jinsui Army also all have aircraft, those that can really be put into the battlefield, that is, the Northeast Army and the Central Army, are not only small in number, but also old planes from a few years ago, or even more than ten years ago. As for the Northwest Army and the Jin Sui Army, although they both have aviation agencies, they only have a few planes, and they are just putting on a show, and they are not of great use at all.

In addition to Tao Rong and others, there is another person who is very surprised, not surprised, to be exact, but excited and proud, this person is Li Rujuan. Seeing that the man she loved had developed such a powerful force quietly, she was very proud of Song Zhewu, not everyone could do it, even Feng Yuxiang, Yan Xishan, Li Zongren, these domestic big names couldn't do it, but her sweetheart did it!

Song Zhewu looked at Tao Rong with some smugness and asked, "Chief of Staff Tao, do you think that our Fourth Route Army is really the biggest local powerful faction in China?" ”

Tao Rong said with emotion: "Yes, our 350,000-strong troops are really strong, I believe that our Fourth Route Army will definitely not have other units that have shortages and empty salaries, and our Fourth Route Army is not only strong in weapons and equipment, but also very well trained." Although I don't know much about the training of our other troops, I don't think it will be worse than the 1st Division. And even if it is worse, even if it is only half the level of the first division, it is enough to ensure its combat effectiveness. With 350,000 troops of this fighting capacity, it is definitely the most powerful local force in the country. In Guannai, now everyone in China thinks that the Northwest Army and the Jin Sui Army are the two strongest local forces, but in fact, it should be our Fourth Route Army, the Northwest Army, and the Jin Sui Army, and our Fourth Route Army is the strongest. ”

Song Zhewu nodded, then shook his head and said, "I only partially agree with Chief of Staff Tao!" ”

Song Zhewu said to Tao Rong, who was a little puzzled: "That's right, in terms of weapons and equipment alone, our Fourth Route Army is definitely the strongest in China, and other troops, whether it is the Northeast Army, the Northwest Army or the Jin Sui Army, cannot be compared with us, even the Central Army; In terms of numbers, we have 350,000 troops, which is almost the same as the Northwest Army, and may even slightly exceed it, but this does not guarantee that our combat effectiveness is the strongest. Since the founding of the army, although there have been more than a dozen battles in large and small battles, but those are all our Fourth Route Army to suppress the weak with the strong, to attack the small with the big, to be prepared for the war unprepared, if we talk about a hard battle, then only the battle of Zhujiahe can be regarded as a battle. ”

Song Zhewu took a puff of cigarette and said to everyone: "Although Zhujiahe is also a hard hit by the Nineteenth Army, Chief of Staff Tao and Division Commander Li should know that the Nineteenth Army had no intention of fighting at that time. That is to say, since the founding of the army, we have fought a good battle, and most of our officers and men have not fought a tough or vicious battle, let alone lost a battle. A strong army must be tested in tough battles, vicious battles, and even defeats. When defeated, it is also necessary to defeat without chaos, alternate cover, and evacuate in an orderly manner. In order to do this, it is impossible to do this by training alone, and only by passing the test of blood and fire and constantly accumulating experience in learning from victory and defeat can we become a strong army, and these are precisely what the officers and men of our Fourth Route Army lack. ”

Tao Rong, Zhang Yafei and others all felt that Song Zhewu's evaluation of the Fourth Route Army was too harsh, and in any case, they fought several times with combat units such as the Northwest Army, the Nineteenth Army, and the Seventh Army, but they were all big victories. In their opinion, this is enough to explain the combat effectiveness of the Fourth Route Army. The fact that the army has reached this level in just three years is something to be proud of from any point of view.

Song Zhewu looked at everyone and continued: "The problem of soldiers can be gradually solved by accumulating experience in combat, but officers cannot only rely on accumulating experience in combat, and that will make us pay a greater price. When I was in Zhengzhou, I talked to Chief of Staff Canxuan and Tao about this issue, and there are still problems with our officers' understanding of tactics and responses, not to mention strategic problems. To solve this problem, it is not only necessary to pay the price but also to accumulate experience in actual combat, and what we lack most is time. Therefore, in order to improve the tactical and strategic qualities of our officers of the Fourth Route Army as soon as possible, we must also help them improve as soon as possible through training and exercises. ”

Song Zhewu paused for a moment and then said: "The officer training regiment we have set up in the teaching corps is for this purpose, and all officers below the division level in the whole army must go to the training corps in stages and batches. Canxuan began to prepare for this matter in Zhengzhou, and the day before yesterday he had already handed over his training plan and training content to me, and I think it was very good, and after this plan meeting, Chief of Staff Xiao and Chief of Staff Tao will take a look at it, and if there is no supplement, the training will be arranged as soon as possible, and the specific order of training personnel and troops will be arranged by Chief of Staff Xiao, and the training of officers in the whole army must be completed in February next year. The time is very tight, Canxuan and Chief of Staff Xiao should make arrangements as soon as possible, if it is really impossible to make arrangements, then divide the training into two phases first, first conduct one phase of training, and then have time for the second phase of training. ”

Li Wentian was still a little puzzled by Song Zhewu's request to end the training of all officers in February next year, because he knew that Song Zhewu would definitely carry out military operations after February, but what he was puzzled about was that it was not too late to wait for the officers to complete their training and make more adequate preparations.

Looking at Li Wentian's somewhat puzzled expression, Song Zhewu thought about it but couldn't help but say nothing. He knew about this incident based on the history of his previous life, and he couldn't tell them that he had traveled through time, let alone say, "The Central Plains War will break out on April 1 next year." ”

Song Zhewu continued with his own train of thought: "What we just said was a military matter, everyone already has an understanding of our expansion and the military strength of our Fourth Route Army, so I will explain to you the matter of the Taihang Administration." ”

Song Zhewu took a puff of cigarette and said to Chu Feng: "Our Fourth Route Army has never had a piece of our own territory, and now we finally have a territory that belongs to us. Although this Taihang Administration is a mountainous area, not only has a small population, but also has an underdeveloped economy, after all, this is the first place where we have the final say, and this Taihang Administration has a special significance to us. In the past, I asked you to take people to help County Magistrate Meng Chumeng do the work of Laiyuan County, the purpose of which is to ask you and the people you bring to learn and accumulate administrative management experience, train personnel for our own local administrative management in the future, and reserve talents in advance. ”

Song Zhewu then said solemnly: "Chu Feng, the work entrusted to you is very important, you not only have to work hard to manage this Taihang Administration now, but also need to learn and accumulate experience through this, so as to prepare us for taking charge of a province in the future." And it won't be long, if all goes well, it will be next year. Whether or not we can successfully take over and manage a province is up to you. ”

"Next year!" , These people here are Song Zhewu's henchmen, Song Zhewu wants to have a province's thoughts, they all know it, but when they think that this wish will soon come true, they are still inevitably excited. You must know that the reason why no one has compared their Fourth Route Army with Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army and Yan Xishan's Jin Sui Army is because they do not have a territory of their own, and their Fourth Route Army is still a rootless duckweed, without a foundation, and they will always be controlled by others. If they had a province and Song Zhewu, the resourceful leader, it would only be a matter of time before the Fourth Route Army developed and expanded.

Song Zhewu waved his hand to sit down as Chu Feng, who was about to stand up and express his position, and then said, "The third issue I want to talk about is the economy. Our Fourth Route Army is now not only an army, but also includes local administration, factories and enterprises, and it is synonymous with a local power. Since it is a force, it must have its own economic resources, and only with its own economic sources can the Fourth Route Army develop freely without restrictions. ”

(To be continued)