On December 28, representatives of 17 provinces across the country gathered in Nanjing for the presidential election of the provisional government of the Republic of China.

At this election meeting, there were two big presidential candidates, Sun Wen and Huang Xing. Many deputies asked for Xiao Zhenlei to be added to the list of candidates, but Xiao Zhenlei refused after learning of this, not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't, with his qualifications and prestige, he was no matter how compared with Sun Wen and Huang Xing and others, according to the proportion of the iron-blooded National Salvation Party in the 17 provincial representatives, if it was united with the Constitution, the League might not be able to win, but Xiao Zhenlei knew that once he won, then the League would not be willing to give up. At that time, there were many internal contradictions in the provisional government, and those who were dissatisfied with the alliance were secretly making trouble, and the external danger was a huge danger from Yuan Shikai, and in the end, it still couldn't change the outcome of the successful fall into the hands of Yuan Shikai.

After receiving the telegram sent by Zhang Jian, Xiao Zhenlei couldn't help but smile bitterly after reading it, Zhang Jian complained in the telegram that he should not make the decision to withdraw from the presidential race, if he did not participate in the election, the position of the president would definitely fall into the hands of the League, Xiao Zhenlei had to list his reasons and send it by telegram.

Zhang Jian did not send another telegram after receiving the telegram, which seemed to be an expression of understanding and trust in Xiao Zhenlei's views on the situation after that.

After dealing with these things, Xiao Zhenlei immediately rushed to the front-line headquarters, and the first division of the Jiangxi Army once again concentrated its forces to attack a defensive position in the fifth town of Beiyang after a night's rest.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, the battle began, this time He Qi was ruthless, and the elite main force of the whole division was transferred over to launch a fierce offensive against the position of the Beiyang Army, and Xiao Zhenlei ordered the artillery to actively cooperate. After an hour of fighting and heavy casualties, the first division of the Jiangxi Army finally broke through the first line of defense in the frontal section, and the remnants of a battalion of the Beiyang Army retreated to the second line of positions to continue to resist.

The loss of the first line of defense made Jin Yunpeng a little anxious, and he asked the staff officer: "Have the reinforcements from the Jinan direction arrived?" ”

"Lord Commander, the reinforcements of the 3,000 patrol battalions from Jinan have arrived in Zhangjia Town, and according to your requirements, the battle readiness fortifications are currently being renovated, and it is expected to be completed before this evening!"

Jin Yunpeng looked at the map for a long time, and ordered: "Let the various standards and battalions hold on for another day, tonight we will retreat to defend around Zhangjiazhen, there is no favorable terrain in the field of Dingjiazhuang at all, both hills are occupied by the coalition forces, we have suffered a big loss in this battle!" This time, we must not give up the favorable terrain to the coalition forces again, pass on my order, 19 Biao go to a battalion to occupy Liufeng Mountain and Huangding Mountain west of Zhangjia Town, must be firmly nailed there for me, and then order 20 Biao to go to a battalion to garrison Yi'an Temple in the east! ”

"Yes, sir!"

In the afternoon, the first division of the Jiangxi army launched two fierce attacks in a row, Jin Yunpeng lost several positions one after another, because the defense line was too long, he had to concentrate his forces to shrink the defense line, gave up the front two defense lines, and retreated to the third line of defense in Dingjiazhuang, at this time it was getting late, after a day of fierce attack, the soldiers were extremely tired, He Qiqi had to order to stick to the front two positions, rest at night, and no longer attack.

On December 29, Sun Wen arrived in Nanjing by train and was elected president of the provisional government of the Republic of China by the representatives of 17 provinces. Since the beginning of the North-South peace talks, Yuan Shikai has been extremely anxious about Sun Wen's return to China, and he secretly asked people to contact the ambassadors of various countries to China, and the ambassadors of various countries to China put pressure on the southern representatives who were holding the North-South peace talks in the Shanghai Tang Concession, believing that if China continues to have internal strife, it will endanger the interests and security of outsiders, and proposed that 'the peace situation must be resolved at an early date in order to settle the current dispute', and the main spearhead of this is aimed at the southern ** authorities. The old bureaucracy and constitutionalists who had entered the ** camp tried their best to lead the south to the path of pro-Yuan. Some party representatives also echoed this proposition. Wu Tingfang, on behalf of the People's Army, insisted that the peace talks must be based on the premise of recognizing the republic, but also hinted that as long as Yuan Shikai coerced the Qing Emperor to abdicate and favor the republic, the party members were willing to repay with the position of president.

Sun Wen was elected as the provisional president by the provincial representatives, which made Yuan Shikai extremely worried, and he was worried that the fifth town of Beiyang could not stop the provincial coalition army commanded by Xiao Zhenlei. Surrounded by compromising forces, Sun Yat-sen telegraphed Yuan Shikai to say that he was 'waiting for a vacant position', but Yuan was still not at ease, and ostensibly used a telegram to engage in a heated debate with Wu Tingfang on the armistice and withdrawal of troops, the National Assembly, the provisional government, and the abdication of the Qing Emperor. At the same time, he secretly ordered Tang Shaoyi to stay in Shanghai and continue to secretly negotiate with Wu Tingfang on the preferential treatment of the Qing emperor after his abdication, Sun Yat-sen's resignation, and Yuan's succession to the presidency. At the same time, Yuan instructed Duan Qirui to lead the Beiyang generals to jointly generate electricity and coerce the Qing court to hold an imperial meeting and declare a republic.

On the other hand, militarily, he transferred the second and fourth towns of Beiyang from Wuchang to the east, in an attempt to flank the coalition forces commanded by Xiao Zhenlei from the north and west and cut off their rear routes.

After Xiao Zhenlei learned of these news on the 29th, he immediately ordered the Jiangxi army to launch an attack on the fifth town of Beiyang at the first time, but news came from the front that the fifth town of Beiyang had retreated to Zhangjiazhen for defense last night, and the first division of the Jiangxi army took Dingjiazhuang along the way.

After thinking about it, Xiao Zhenlei ordered the First Division of the Jiangxi Army to enter a state of rest, and ordered the Fourth Division of the Soviet Army Yao Chengcheng to launch an attack on the Fifth Town of Beiyang in Zhangjia Town, so as to solve the Fifth Town of Beiyang before the arrival of the Second and Fourth Towns of Beiyang.

On the afternoon of the 29th, the Yao Cheng Division of the Fourth Division of the Soviet Army launched a full-scale attack on Zhangjia Town, which was defended by the Fifth Town of Beiyang.

Half an hour of overwhelming artillery fire, in the shelling, the Soviet Fourth Division launched an attack, this army every three people and a child, one front and two rear cooperate with each other to cover the attack, the distance between the soldiers and the soldiers is extremely scattered, because the Beiyang Fifth Town was Xiao Zhenlei before the artillery team, lack of artillery support, at home at this time the Beiyang Army heavy machine gun proficiency can not be compared with the Soviet Fourth Division, so the Beiyang Army position on the firepower Cheng Dù to the attacking Soviet Fourth Division soldiers casualties are minimal.

Extremely well-trained tactics such as dodging bullets, jumping forward to attack the attacking side, shooting while charging, etc., made the attacking troops quickly rush to the front of the Beiyang Army position, at this time the Beiyang Army position has suffered great losses, the Soviet Fourth Division broke into the Beiyang Army position for the first time in the first attack, and began to fight for trenches, grenades with grenadiers, mortars have already caused heavy losses to the Beiyang Army of the first line of defense, after the attacking troops of the Soviet Fourth Division assaulted into the first line of defense, the remaining Beiyang Army soldiers have collapsed.

Jin Yunpeng, who could see clearly with a telescope at the rear headquarters, couldn't believe his eyes, and hurriedly asked, "Whose troops are this?" How can it be so elite, how can there be such powerful firepower? What kind of cannon is that can go into a trench? ”

The staff officer said: "My lord, looking at the flag, it should be the Fourth Division of the Second Army of the Soviet Army, this is Xiao Zhenlei's descendant, the weapons and equipment are extremely sophisticated, and the training of soldiers is better than that of my Beiyang, and the division commander is called Yao Chengcheng!" Previously, the fourth and third divisions were secretly hidden by Xiao Zhenlei, and recently we have discovered the information."

Jin Yunpeng was furious when he heard this: "Bastard, why didn't you say it earlier?" According to their offensive intensity, artillery coverage, and combat ability, I am afraid that my fifth town will not be able to withstand it for even a day in this Zhangjia Town! ”

Hearing this, the combat staff officer smiled bitterly: "My lord, don't talk about us, I'm afraid that even the Germans may not be able to stop the advance of this division!" ”

Jin Yunpeng thought for a while and gritted his teeth and said: "Order to pull the 3,000 patrol battalion over, immediately replenish it to the second line of defense, you must resist it to the death for me, no matter what, we must hold it today, tomorrow we will directly withdraw to Jinan, use the city wall and the houses in the city or can also deal with it, in this kind of place, it is impossible to block the front of such an army!" ”

"Yes, sir!"

The Fourth Division of the Soviet Army is a complete infantry division, although it was only a standard at the beginning, but this standard is enough for more than 10,000 people, after more than half a year of hellish training, the soldiers already have super combat ability, in the Battle of Nanjing, quickly transformed from a recruit unit to an iron-blooded division, the same as the fourth division and Liu Chenglong's third division, during this period of time, Xiao Zhenlei has not let the third division and the fourth division come forward, that is, to use these two divisions as hole cards. More elite than these two divisions are the first division and the second division of the first army of the Soviet army, these two divisions are the original new army 23 mixed association adaptation, in addition, it is the two divisions of the second army of the Zhejiang army, these two divisions were directly trained by Cai Guodong, although the weapons and equipment are not as good as the first and second divisions of the Soviet army, but in terms of combat quality is not much worse, if equipped with the same weapons and equipment, it is estimated that the combat effectiveness can also reach the level of the four divisions of the Soviet army.

At the forward position headquarters, the operational staff officer reported to Yao Chengcheng, the commander of the Fourth Division: "Report to the division commander, our army has been divided into several small units and has begun to carry out interspersed tactical attacks, and the enemy is investing a large number of troops into the second line of defense, it is estimated that there are about 3,000 people, most of whom are patrol battalion soldiers!" ”

In the continuous "click" sound of the machine gun in the distance, Yao Chengcheng said coldly when he heard this: "Hmph, what's the use of having more people?" In such a defensive position, the more people there are, the more they die, pass my order, let the attacking troops stop the attack, withdraw the first line of defense, order the artillery of our division to shell the enemy's second line of defense for half an hour, and then continue the attack! ”

"Yes, Commander!"

"Wait, order a battalion to take the Ngee Ann Temple to the east for me!" R1152