Tang Qianming's matter sounded a wake-up call to Xiao Zhenlei, now a considerable number of people in the East China Army are old people in the former Qing Army, the army is okay, there are not many officers in the former Qing Dynasty army, but the navy is basically from the former Qing Dynasty to Chengcheng, and there are still some ideological influences from the previous era, Xiao Zhenlei believes that it is imperative to establish a regular modern military school, and in the past, it was only to open some officer training courses, although many officers were trained, but it was a guerrilla fight, It is not good to always fight guerrillas, and the army must be regularized and nationalized. 【頂【点【小】【Say,www.

Xiao Zhenlei said to Jiang Baili: "Brother Baili, Tang Qianming's matter makes me feel like I have been knocked on a stick, it seems that the establishment of a regular military academy is imminent, and the army's ideological education must also be grasped as much as possible."

Jiang Baili nodded when he heard this: "Yes, the regularization and nationalization of the army is the trend of the times, and only in this way can we have the combat effectiveness to compete with the great powers, I agree!" ”

After the incident, Xiao Zhenlei called Fan Zhiyong and ordered him to take charge of the political and ideological work of the whole army, strengthen the political and ideological education of the army within the whole army, and increase the propaganda of patriotism and obedience to orders and commands in the army.

At the same time, he also convened a meeting of high-level officers to announce preparations for the establishment of a military academy. The Air Force Flight School has been established, including flight, ground handling, airport engineering and management and other majors, Xiao Zhenlei also personally served as the principal, and Zhou Chuandong served as the vice principal in charge of the school's specific affairs.

Now preparations are to be made for the establishment of the Army Officers School and the Navy Officers Academy, and the Navy has already prepared for the establishment of a sailors school. However, the sailor school can only be used to train sailors, and the training of officers must also be done in a professional naval officer school. The two military academies that Xiao Zhenlei planned to establish were directly under the jurisdiction of the East China Governor's Office. Two military universities were directly established, namely the East China Army Military University and the East China Naval University.

He personally served as the president of both universities. The specific preparation and management of the school is the responsibility of others, and he is only a name because of his many work. After the establishment of these two military universities, officers with a high level of education and military studies in the army and navy were selected from the army and navy respectively to serve as instructors and teachers; on the one hand, the cadets were recruited from the army and on the other hand, from the society, and during the period of study at the military academies, the cadets had to learn military theoretical knowledge and military skills on the one hand, and on the other hand, they had to receive ideological education. And that's the top priority.

After handing over the establishment of the military academy to the relevant personnel, Xiao Zhenlei continued to pay attention to the progress of the war, and he insisted on not overstepping the command in the war, and did not interfere in the specific tactics of the divisions, but only regulated and controlled the entire battle situation.

On the Eastern Front, due to the large number of troops on both sides and the relatively tight defense, neither side has been able to obtain useful fighters for the time being, so the Eastern Front has reached a stalemate. If we want to break this deadlock, we must find ways to increase our troops in other ways than to continue to increase our troops, but continuing to increase our strength will only increase our own burden. Xiao Zhenlei is very clear about this, and Yuan Shikai is also very clear that the total strength of the two sides on the Eastern Front has reached 200,000. Any increase in troops will be unbearable for both sides, but they can't afford to be in such an old stalemate.

Want to break this deadlock. Xiao Zhenlei believes that he can think of a way to find a way from the central and western fronts, and if the battlefield side of the central line wins a big victory. Then it is the greatest support for the Eastern Front.

On July 17, the 26th Division attacked Xinyang from the west of northern Anhui, and the 56th and 57th Divisions, which were supported by the south, had to advance in the direction of Xinyang according to Yuan Shikai's order. The 31st Division of the Central Line Battlefield approached Xiaogan, and Li Yuanhong's attitude was ambiguous, Li Chunbu felt the pressure increased greatly, and had to ask Duan Zhigui for help, Duan Zhigui ordered Li Chunbu to hold on after receiving the request for help, and he led Zhang Shuyuan's 17th Division eastward to prepare to attack the 26th Division with the 56th and 57th Divisions.

At this time, Xiong Kewu's department in the southwest of Shaanxi immediately entered Henan along the southeast after receiving the order, Duan Zhigui was shocked when he heard the news, and he couldn't care about the 26th Division, so he quickly retreated north to Nanyang, lest Xiong Kewu's capture of Nanyang threaten his retreat.

On July 20, Li Yuanhong sent Tang Hualong to Nanjing to discuss the matter of surrendering to Cheng, and Xiao Zhenlei personally received Tang Hualong.

"Mr. Tang, I don't know what happened to me this time?"

Tang Hualong bowed and said, "Commander-in-chief, I have come to discuss with you on behalf of Governor Li this time!" ”

"Oh?" Xiao Zhenlei pretended to be surprised and said: "Isn't this Li Yuanhong mixed well with Yuan Shikai, why do you think of going to surrender to me now?" He was originally from the southern camp, and after the North-South peace talks, he hooked up with Yuan Shikai, and now he sees that Yuan Shikai is not good, and he wants to switch to the south? Mr. Tang, let's not bring this to play, okay? My heart can't bear it! ”

Tang Hualong couldn't help but be very embarrassed when he heard this, and smiled bitterly in his heart, he actually didn't want to come over, and it was estimated that he wouldn't be well received when he came, Xiao Zhenlei didn't give him a look at it, but it didn't work if he didn't come, Li Yuanhong's department was besieged by the Reserve Fourth Division in Hanchuan, and the only way to survive was to surrender to Cheng, and the idea of breaking out of the encirclement at any cost was basically impossible to realize.

"Commander-in-Chief, our Governor of Ritu is very sincere this time."

After listening to Tang Hualong's words, Xiao Zhenlei knew that for the sake of the future war situation, he must also accept Li Yuanhong's surrender, and after there is an example and precedent, it is possible for other Beiyang officers and forces to surrender when the situation is difficult, so as to avoid the phenomenon of the two sides fighting to the end as much as possible.

After pondering for a while, Xiao Zhenlei said: "Mr. Tang, you are a cultural person, I don't talk big, and I don't fool you with official wishes." In this case, you tell the governor of Lidu, I accept his surrender, he must unconditionally order the army to lay down their arms and go out of the city to accept the reorganization, as for his own arrangements, I will arrange a position for him in the Department of the Interior and the Political and Commercial Bureau, but he can no longer be in charge of the army, as for the other army officers who do not want to work in the army, they can choose to be disarmed and returned to the field, and we will give them a retirement settlement fee, if they want to enter the local politics. We can consider arranging if they are willing to remain in the army. It is necessary to enter a military academy to study, and only after mastering military command ability and ideology can you continue to lead troops. That's the last condition I can give! ”

Tang Hualong was silent for a moment when he heard this: "Commander-in-chief, although the conditions you gave are not high, but this reassures me, you don't make a wish, and the conditions you give are very real, with your words, I can explain to the governor of Lidu!" ”

Xiao Zhenlei nodded and said, "Okay, you bring him a message, I have no personal enmity with him." I will never retaliate, even if I have a personal vendetta with him, but in the major matters related to the future and destiny of the country and the nation, I can still distinguish which is more important, and I will wait for your good news in Nanjing! ”

"Okay!" Tang Hualong agreed, and said: "Commander-in-chief, there is one more thing, I heard that you came to you because I asked Zhu Xin to be the governor of Lidu, and you suspended him. You see, it's my fault, it's none of his business, and I shouldn't have asked him to come to you. Can you forgive him? ”

Xiao Zhenlei smiled when he heard this: "Mr. Tang, I suspended him not because of you, but because of himself. You don't have to say anything about it, we'll take care of it! ”

July 22nd. Li Yuanhong led his troops to surrender to the Northern Expeditionary Army and announced the abolition of the Hubei Military Government. The Hu army joined the Northern Expeditionary Army sequence, the Hu army accepted the reorganization on the spot, and the reserve four divisions continued to go north and the 31st division attacked Xiaogan from the southwest and southeast respectively, Li Chunbu suffered heavy casualties after holding out in Xiaogan for two days, and had to retreat in the direction of Xiangyang, but at this time Xiong Kewu's troops abandoned Nanyang and went straight to Xiangyang, and occupied Xiangyang before Li Chun's retreat to Xiangyang, cutting off Li Chun's retreat.

Li Chunbu wants to escape from Ascension, it is impossible to go to Xiangyang, the east is Xinyang, which has been occupied by the 26th Division of the Northern Expeditionary Army, although the 26th Division has been pinned down by the 56th and 57th Divisions, but the 26th is fully reorganized, and it is completely possible to divide a regiment to attack Li Chunbu to the west, and the 31st Division in the south has chased over, and the only way to get out of the encirclement is to pass through the middle of Xiangyang and Xinyang, but there is no official road between this, only a small road, and the marching speed will be very slow.

Li Chun's troops had just arrived in Suizhou, but they didn't expect that a regiment of Xiong Kewu's troops would quickly block Suixian, the road that Li Chun did not go north, and Li Chun's vanguard was blocked in Suixian, and they couldn't rush through anyway.

On July 25, he led his troops eastward, but encountered the 4th Reserve Division in Guangshui, and was held back by the 4th Reserve Division, and an infantry regiment of the 26th Division and the 31st Division from the north flanked Li Chun's troops from the north and west respectively, and was soon besieged by the regiments.

On July 27, Li Chun's troops ran out of ammunition and food, and when they asked Duan Zhigui for help, they committed suicide by drinking bullets, and the rest of the troops surrendered.

On July 28, the remnants of the Second Beiyang Division, which had been besieged in Hukou for half a month, laid down their arms and surrendered under the leadership of Wang Zhanyuan.

When Xiao Zhenlei, who was in Nanjing, learned of these two news, he said a few good words in a row, and asked Song Shijie to immediately send officials to Hubei to take over government affairs, and try his best to settle down in Hubei Province.

Next, Xiao Zhenlei gave Xu Shaozhen an order, ordering the divisions of the Central Route Army to march to Nanyang and Xinyang after resting for two days, and cooperate with the 26th Division in Xinyang to approach Duan Zhigui's only remaining 17th Division and the newly reinforced 56th and 57th Divisions.

On August 1, Xiong Kewu's troops and the 31st Division were ordered to attack Nanyang, Duan Zhigui was rubbing hemp on the train at the time, because his headquarters was located in the train carriage, which was for the convenience of running, when he heard that the Northern Expeditionary Army was pressing Nanyang, he calmly instructed the reporting officer to let Zhang Shuyuan lead his troops to stay in Nanyang to set up defenses, and he himself ordered the train to go in the direction of Zhengzhou, originally wanted to stay in Xuchang, but Xuchang was not very far from Nanyang, Duan Zhigui thought that it was not safe in Xuchang, Maybe when the Northern Expeditionary Army will reach Xuchang, then it will have to continue to run, it is better to simply run farther.

Even the commander ran away, where is the determination and courage of the 17th Division of the Beiyang Army from top to bottom, from officers to soldiers? Before the battle began, many people deserted, and not only did they run away, but they also took their guns and ammunition with them. Although Zhang Shuyuan tried his best to control the troops and sent a team to arrest the deserters, he was still unable to control the situation.

On August 2, because Zhang Shuyuan was no longer able to control the army, so that there were riots in Nanyang City, and the rebels bombed the camp and began to burn and loot everywhere in Nanyang City.

The officers and soldiers of the 31st Division outside the city saw that the city was in turmoil, and immediately launched an attack, because the city was in chaos, there was no one to defend the city at this time, the 31st Division broke into the city very lightly, and the officers and soldiers of the 31st Division who received the order immediately took over the city garrison and captured the rebels who were making trouble on the street, and it was not until a day later that Nanyang City calmed down, even if the rebellion in Nanyang City was suppressed so quickly, it still caused great damage to the city.

Nanjing, General Headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army.

"President, the battle report from the front, the 31st Division of the Middle Route Army and Xiong Kewubu have conquered Nanyang, Duan Zhigui and Zhang Shuyuan have fled, before conquering Nanyang, Zhang Shuyuan could not control the zhì troops so that it caused the bombing of the camp, when the chaos broke out, Nanyang suffered a catastrophe, the 31st Division took a day to quell the rebellion, most of the rebels were captured, and a few escaped! In addition, since Nanyang was occupied by our army, the 56th and 57th divisions of the Beiyang Army retreated in order not to be flanked, and they have not stopped yet, and it is very likely that they will withdraw directly to Xuchang depending on the situation."

When Xiao Zhenlei heard this, he asked, "What about the situation on the battlefield on the Eastern Front and the Western Front?" ”

"The battlefield on the Eastern Front is still the same, General Cai Guodong has not yet found a breakthrough, and he can only confront Feng Guozhang for the time being, and General Cai Ye on the Western Front is also confronting Cao Kun under Tongguan City!"

Xiao Zhenlei walked to the map and studied it for a while and said: "It seems that we have to find a way to fight on the middle line battlefield, give Xu Shaozhen an order, let Xiong Kewu's department be assigned to Zhang Xiaozhun, and the 26th Division is also under the command of the Middle Route Army, I don't care what he thinks, before August 20, the Middle Route Army must attack the city of Zhengzhou!" ”

"Yes, President!"

"Wait, go get me the chief of staff again!"

Soon, Jiang Fangzhen came to Xiao Zhenlei's office, "What's the matter, president, is there something wrong with me?" ”

"Oh, Brother Baili, come on, come on, I have some new ideas about the situation on the battlefield on the Eastern Front, and I want you to come to the staff officer!"

Jiang Fangzhen suddenly became interested when he heard this, took the teacup handed over by Xiao Zhenlei and asked, "Oh, okay, what new ideas do you have?" (To be continued......) R527