Zhangjiakou, also known as Zhangyuan, is an ancient city outside the Saiwai, located in Beijing, Hebei, Jincha four provinces, is the north gate of Beijing, the strategic position is extremely important, since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Zhangjiakou has gradually developed into the most important trade center of the grassland people and the Central Plains people. The "Zhangku Avenue" with Zhangjiakou as the was once extremely prosperous and was known as the Northern Silk Road. After the opening of China's first self-designed and built Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway at the end of the Qing Dynasty, it became the second largest commercial port in the whole north after Tianjin, and became China's largest tea export base and fur distribution center, known as the "land commercial port" and "leather capital", with a transaction volume of up to 150 million taels of silver a year.

Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially the middle of the Qing Dynasty, livestock, furs, medicinal herbs, woolen fabrics, and silverware from the Mongolian steppes and the hinterland of Europe have been replaced with silk, tea, porcelain, and sugar. At that time, at the foot of the Great Wall, inside and outside the Dajing Gate, there were many shops, herds of cattle, horses and camels, and all kinds of goods piled up.

During the Qing Dynasty, Zhangjiakou was the station of the Chahar Dutong, in the second year of the Republic of China, the Beiyang Government established the Chahar Special Zone, Zhangjiakou became the capital of the Special Zone, and at the end of the same year, the first division of the army moved to the north of the country, stationed in Zhangjiakou, Duolun, Guisui and other places, and the division headquarters was located in Zhangjiakou.

When Tang Zhidao's team arrived in Zhangjiakou, it was already noon the next day, and the whole group was already exhausted after most of the bumps in the day, and they were all looking forward to a good rest for a few days when they arrived in Zhangjiakou. But what is surprising is that the train outside Zhangjiakou is unusually deserted, except for the people sent by Tang Zhidao to hit the front station, there are only a dozen people scattered to greet him, which makes our Tang head very depressed, which is too much to treat the village chief as a cadre!

"Which one is Head Tang?" Fortunately, after getting off the train and leaving the station, someone finally came up to greet me. The person who came was about 1.7 meters, dressed in a military uniform of the same level as Regiment Commander Tang, and it was estimated that he was a staff officer or adjutant or something.

"Contemptible Tang Zhidao, the commander of the Second Mixed Regiment of the Army!" Tang Zhidao clenched his fists and said without humility or arrogance: "Dare to ask what this brother is called?" ”

"Captain Tang is polite!" The person who came returned the salute and said politely: "In Xia Qiu Ye, the staff officer of the lieutenant colonel of the Dutong Mansion." ”

"Hello Staff Officer Qiu." Tang Zhidao's eyes lit up, isn't this person Hu Bingtao's classmate, but the other party didn't seem too enthusiastic, so he didn't get too close for the time being.

"Captain Tang, the whole group is here?" Staff Officer Qiu asked as he looked at the troops that were constantly coming out of the station in an orderly manner.

"Two battalions and all the direct companies came, and the third battalion was newly recruited." Tang Zhidao whispered: "There are a total of 1,800 officers and soldiers. ”

"Eighteen hundred." Staff Officer Qiu silently said: "It's not too little, it's equivalent to the number of four battalions of the patrol battalion. "Northern Xinjiang is not peaceful, so it is natural to hope that the garrison will be better and better.

"I don't know how you plan to settle us." After chatting a few words and seeing that the other party did not mention this matter for a long time, Tang Zhidao took the initiative to ask: "Where is the camp and defense area of our regiment, and the brothers have not eaten for most of the day!" ”

"Brother Ruoshui, for my brother to have a negative light pavilion!" Speaking of this, Qiu Hua said with a long sigh: "I have ordered someone to prepare lunch, but it is just ......"

"Brother Qiu is serious, please tell me something!" Tang Zhidao asked in surprise, he didn't provoke anyone when he first arrived, how much could he do. The worst is to repair the entire ten days and half a month, and then be driven to the border area of Inner and Inner Mongolia to drink the northwest wind and eat sand.

"After lunch, your troops are not allowed to stay in the city, and they will rest for one night in the temporary camp outside the gate of the Great Realm and leave for Duolun immediately." Qiu Hua said solemnly.

"W-Why is that?" Tang Zhizhi's face changed, and he said very unhappily. Duolun is a good place, but Tian Dutong is too unkind, there is no reward, no banquet, so let the brother rest for three or five days before going on the road! According to the practice of this era, Tian Dutong should at least summon the head of the Tang regiment and comfort him with kind words, if he has enough money, he might as well give each brother three or two oceans of opening fees, where is there such hospitality! Of course, usually these so-called promotion fees rarely fall into the hands of ordinary soldiers, and they are swallowed by the officers leading the troops, which can be regarded as an open bribe. …,

"Brother Ruoshui, don't get excited, it's also forced by the situation!" Qiu Hua hurriedly comforted: "The opening fee of two oceans per person will definitely not be less, but the front is tight and has to be so ......."

"Tight ahead?" Tang Zhidao asked suspiciously, although Saibei said that the army was empty, it was far from the so-called tightness. Tsarist Russia was too busy to take care of itself, and without the support of Tsarist Russia, the clowns in Outer Mongolia did not dare to act rashly, and as for the horse bandits, they were just harassing and harassing, and they could not become a general climate.

"I'm afraid that Tian Du can't trust Tang's team." Seeing that Qiu Hua was silent, Tang Zhidao said dissatisfiedly. In this year, no one wants a non-descendant team to be stationed in their own city, who knows what trouble will be caused, it is better to play early.

"Brother Ruoshui is his own person, I might as well tell you clearly!" Qiu Hua thought for a while and said: "Just the night before yesterday, the Meng bandit Babu Zabu ambushed the Yi army to reinforce Lin Xi, and the four battalions of the Yi army were all wiped out, and the commander Mi Zhenbiao was killed!" ”

"Won't it?" Tang Zhidao said in surprise: "Although the Yi Army is not strong in combat, it has been stationed in Rehe for many years, and it should not be a problem to deal with the Mongolian bandits." ”

"At first, Tian Dutong didn't believe it, but last night a telegram from the War Department also came, and all the departments stationed in the army were on high alert and ready to rush to the aid of Rehe!" Qiu Hua said solemnly: "So I can only grieve my brother's department first, and the rest of the team will still prepare for a few days before they can set off!" ”

"Since the country is in trouble, Tang is naturally duty-bound!" Tang Zhidao pondered for a moment and said, "It's just ......"

"If Brother Ruoshui is in trouble, just mention it!" Qiu Hua hurriedly said, I'm afraid that people will not leave, after all, the morale of the Babu Zabu bandit department with a great victory is strong, and it is not so easy to deal with.

"Our regiment is in a hurry to go out this time, and the clothes for the winter are not well prepared, so please ask the Yamen to solve part of it!" Tang Zhidao said unceremoniously.

"That's not a problem!" Qiu Hua agreed directly, and the slogan of the Zhang family said that the world's "leather capital" was naturally a trivial matter to solve the winter clothes.

"This place is hundreds of miles away from Toron, when will you be able to get there with just your feet?" Tang Zhidao said again: "I see that there are many horses in Zhangjiakou, can we requisition one or two thousand, and let us go to Duolun earlier." ”

"I can't be the master!" Qiu Hua hurriedly shirked and said, "Besides, the horses here are all privately owned, and what the Yamen can call is extremely limited. ”

"How many count!" Tang Zhidao said unrelentingly: "At least give me three or five hundred horses, many brothers take the train for the first time, and they can't stand on the ground." ”

"I have to go back and ask Tiandutong, the Zhangjiakou area itself does not produce horses, they are all brought from the grassland by caravans, and the price is not cheap." Qiu Hua smiled bitterly and said, "Why don't you just hire a few caravans and ask them to help deliver things to Duolun." ”

"I don't care about this, anyway, I can't let my brother walk to Duolun on just two feet!" Tang Zhidao put on a scoundrel look. Now that I am far away from the capital, whether I eat fragrant and spicy food, or eat bran and throat vegetables depends on my own ability, as for whether I can get it, it depends on my luck, and I am somewhat sure of meeting a commander like Tian Dutong who has no descendants.

"Alright! I try to figure it out. Qiu Hua frowned and said helplessly: "But don't count on me all the time." ”

"I'm relieved to have Brother Qiu's words." After chatting about business, Tang Zhidao was much more enthusiastic when he continued his personal relationship, took out a "Hademen" cigarette and handed it to Qiu Hua.

"Brother Guangting is good!" Qiu Hua took the cigarette and responded eagerly: "I haven't seen him for two or three years." ”

"It's good, he asked me to bring you something when he came." Tang Zhidao helped Qiu Hua light a cigarette and said, "Put it in the gift box, I'll give it to you later." ”…,

"Okay!" Qiu Huamei took a puff of cigarette, looked at her watch again and whispered, "It's past noon, I have set up a few tables at Saibei Restaurant to catch you up." ”

"I'll skip this meal at noon." Tang Zhidao refused with a smile: "I have to settle the more than 1,000 brothers under me first." As he spoke, more than 1,000 officers and men of the regiment were about to leave the station, and they must be settled as soon as possible, rested for the night, and then had the strength to leave tomorrow morning.

"Then it's night!" Qiu Hua nodded and said: "Just lead you around the city, although Zhangjiakou is not as good as the Beijing Division, it is also one of the largest cities in the north." ”

"Report to the head of the regiment, the whole regiment has been assembled and counted, and there should be 1,821 people, but there are 1,821 people." Staff officer Du Shijie ran over in small steps and said loudly, this time more than 1,000 people marched with full authority to be arranged and deployed.

"Got it, let the brothers cheer up, Tian Dutong prepared a sumptuous lunch for everyone." Tang Zhidao turned back to Qiu Hua and said, "Staff Officer Qiu, please ask your people to lead the way in front!" "From the stop of the train to the completion of the whole group, it will only take about ten minutes in total, and Commander Tang is quite satisfied with this speed.

"Okay!" Qiu Hua waved his hand, and the dozens of soldiers who followed him consciously acted as guides. The second mixed regiment of more than 1,000 people was divided into four columns, and followed them in a large stride towards the northwest of the city, attracting many curious citizens along the way to stop and watch. They were full of vigilance and curiosity about this new force from the capital.

At noon on October 21, 1916, the Second Mixed Regiment of the Army arrived in Zhangjiakou, the capital of Chahar, and began their trip to Saibei.