"Where's the Jinghan Line?" Zhao Dongyun listened to the intelligence department's information, and his eyebrows furrowed: "The current situation on the front line of the three towns of Wuhan is stable, and the troops of the Southern Federation and Wang Shizhen are still fighting each other, but one of Wang Ruxian's brigades has already gone north to Wushengguan in Xinyang, Henan. ”

"What about Wu Shuai?" Zhao Dongyun continued to ask.

"According to Wu Shuai's military intelligence report, the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division, their main force, and two regiments of the Shanxi Army are still deployed in the south and west of Shanxi, and are fighting with the Zhao Erxun Department of the Southern Federation."

Zhao Dongyun raised his hand at this time, then looked around at the many generals present, and then said: "The reaction of Zhili and Liangjiang is much faster than we expected, and what about us?" How ready is it? ”

Fang Bi Yong of the General Staff Department said: "The three divisions and five brigades of our army's main force are currently fully equipped and can be transferred to fight in the customs at any time. For the time being, other units are still undergoing emergency training. In addition, the refitting work of the patrol force is progressing steadily, and seven patrol regiments have completed the refitting work, and it is expected that all the patrol units will be able to complete the refitting of guns within this month! ”

Zhao Dongping, who had just returned to Shenyang from Nanjing, also said: "The Ordnance Department has already reserved the salary needed for the next three months!" ”

And Hong Putao also said: "The ammunition, rations and uniforms of the Quartermaster Department are fully prepared, which is enough to ensure the needs of the operation in the next March!" ”

Zhao Dongyun looked at Yang Deming at this time and said, "If my army enters the customs to fight, how many troops can be adjusted?" How to ensure the defense outside the customs? ”

The reason why Zhao Dongyun did not ask Fang Biyong, chief of the General Staff Department, but directly asked Yang Deming, director of the Operations Department, was because although Fang Biyong was the chief of the General Staff Department and could nominally manage most of the affairs of the Feng Army, he was actually not in charge of the deployment of troops and the operational arrangements, and the Operations Department under the General Staff Department was mainly responsible for it.

Yang Deming, director of the Operations Division, has become the only colonel-level officer in today's military meeting, and the others are all major generals and lieutenant generals.

Yang Deming did not show a cautious look in the face of a large group of superiors, but quickly got up and said loudly: "According to many deductions, colleagues and staff members in the combat department believe that once the operation is launched, our army must conquer the Beijing division in one fell swoop in the shortest possible time, and then quickly divide the troops, one to reinforce Shijiazhuang, and the other to attack Shandong through Dezhou.

If the battle in Beijing drags on for a long time, it will not only increase the casualties of the troops, but also face Wang Zhanyuan, Zhang Huaizhi, and Duan Qirui and their reinforcements to the north. Although Wu Shuai's troops can hold the Shijiazhuang area in the short term to block Wang Ruxian and Wang Shizhen's troops from going north, they can't delay for a long time, once Wu Shuai's troops fail to block it, then we will face the threat of Wang Shizhen and Wang Ruxian again.

So if we don't get a quick fix, then we risk falling into the same passive situation as last year. ”

"For this reason, the Operations Department has set up three divisions and five brigades to enter the customs and fight!"

As soon as these words came out, Lin Yongquan on the side frowned and said: "If all the main forces are transferred into the customs, how to solve the defense outside the customs?" ”

Yang Deming said: "The defense of the three provinces outside the Guanxi can be handed over to the patrol police force to deal with, and there are 12 patrol police regiments in the three eastern provinces, which are enough to undertake the local defense of the three provinces, and although the first division of the provincial army is only organized into two regiments, it can also undertake the necessary defense deployment." ”

At this time, Xu Bangjie also frowned and said: "Although the patrol force said that there are twelve regiments, and they have also been equipped with new rifles, but everyone knows this combat power, and it is very difficult to rely on them to maintain the defense of the three eastern provinces, in case there is a change in Russia!" ”

What he meant by this was that once there was a change in Japan and Russia, the patrol force alone would never be able to stop it.

However, Yang Deming said: "Once there is a change between Japan and Russia, the twelve patrol regiments are certainly useless, but can they be stopped by leaving one or two divisions and brigades?" ”

What he said is more realistic, according to the strength deployed by Japan and Russia, if there is a little change, the troops in the northeast will at least exceed 100,000, not to mention that the patrol regiment will not be able to stop it, even if Zhao Dongyun pulls out all the troops, it will actually be unstoppable, no matter how it is blocked, according to Yang Deming's statement, it will simply not be defended!

"Our army can now fight three divisions and five brigades, this force is too little to enter the customs to fight, if there are still one or two divisions and brigades left outside the customs, then the strength of the troops entering the customs will be even smaller, commanders, after we enter the customs, we will not only face Wang Yingkai's troops, but also need to face Duan Qirui, Wang Shizhen, Zhang Huaizhi, Wang Ruxian their troops, we are facing the second coalition army!"

Zhao Dongyun listened to the debate of the people below and did not speak, he had already made up his mind to enter the pass, as for how to fight, he still needs to carefully consider one or two, and this time is not the time to do a word, he needs to listen to the different opinions of his subordinates, and then he can make the choice with the best chance of winning.

Zhao Dongyun listened to the argument, he raised his hand and said, "Listen to the plan of the combat department first!" If you have any questions, let's talk about it! ”

When Yang Deming heard Zhao Dongyun's obvious words to defend himself, he also retracted his argument, and immediately continued to say aloud: "On the basis of the transfer of the third division and five brigades to enter the customs operation, the combat department believes that before entering the customs, the ninth and tenth divisions must maneuver to Shanhaiguan, and it is best that the third division can secretly enter Tangshan. In this way, our army will be able to quickly go to the front line to fight after the start of the war! ”

"On the eve of the war, our army can send the third division to Tangshan directly by train, at that time Wang Yingkai may lodge a protest, the government affairs Yuan will have to delay the time, but Wang Yingkai may directly send troops to attack Tangshan and Chengde area, then the fourth mixed brigade and the seventh mixed brigade in Tangshan and Chengde area will hold on to the essential, waiting for reinforcements, from the third division to Tangshan, the third division's light infantry will be able to arrive in Tangshan on the same day, and a part of the artillery and baggage will be able to arrive in Tangshan the next day.

So according to this timetable, the threat to Tangshan is not large.

Subsequently, the 3rd Division and the 7th Mixed Brigade in the Tangshan area attacked the front line of Ninghe and Baodi, conquered Langfang, and then went north to Nanyuan of the Beijing Division, and cooperated with the main force to encircle and annihilate the enemy troops of the Beijing Division.

Subsequently, the 1st Cavalry Brigade went north to Zunhua and cooperated with the 4th Mixed Brigade to annihilate the enemy forces in the Chengde area and prevent the division from escaping west to Beijing.

The Second Cavalry Brigade continued south to Cangzhou and Bazhou through Tangshan and Langfang, in order to harass and slow down the northward pace of the 7th Division of Wang Zhanyuan's headquarters.

The 9th Division, the 10th Division, and the 5th Mixed Brigade, together with the 1st Heavy Artillery Battalion, moved south in the third group to attack the Beijing Division. ”

Yang Deming's remarks are all the most ideal plans, and they are all based on the situation that the troops entering the customs can win successive victories, but the fact is naturally that this cannot be the case, the front-line troops may suffer setbacks, and this situation is also unpredictable on the side of the combat department, and how to fight at that time actually has little to do with the combat department, mainly relying on the commander-in-chief of the front-line troops to respond to the situation.

Zhao Dongyun also spoke at this time: "I think everyone has no opinion on the entry operation, although this battle plan is still slightly lacking, but the combat department should also be able to modify and modify it!" ”

Speaking of this, Zhao Dongyun stood up, and then looked at his generals: "I order, from now on, the first army will be established, with the jurisdiction of the third division, the seventh mixed brigade, and the first cavalry brigade, with Meng Enyuan as the commander and the vanguard of the whole army. The Second Army was established, with jurisdiction over the 9th Division, the 10th Division, the 4th Mixed Brigade, the 5th Mixed Brigade, and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade. The two regiments of the 1st Division of the Provincial Army were transferred to Jinzhou for garrison, and from now on, all units should move to the predetermined area in the shortest possible time! ”

Speaking of this, he added: "The transfer of troops should pay attention to secrecy, I don't want our troops to arrive at Shanhaiguan, Wang Yingkai already knows that we are going to send troops!" ”

As he spoke, he once again glanced at the generals below who were already looking a little maneuvering: "You are all the pillars of our army, and naturally understand what this move means to us, so I won't say anything superfluous, I just hope that you can work with me and fight for the country and the nation!" ”

Zhao Dongyun said that they would work hard together, but the people below were excited, and Zhao Dongyun's number one dog-legged Lin Yongquan turned even red: "Swear to die for the handsome!" ”

and Gu Lanyu and Kong Weibei, who have always prided themselves as subordinates of Zhao Dongyun's lineage, also shouted in unison: "Swear to die for the handsome!" ”

Several other people, such as Chen Guangyuan, Meng Enyuan, and Cao Kun, to be honest, are a little disgusted with this naked oath of allegiance, but today's occasion is extraordinary, no one can start to say it, but Lin Yongquan and Gu Lanyu have started this way, and these old Beiyang can only pull down their faces and shout "Swear to die for the handsome!" "That's it.

On June 4, Zhao Dongyun formally approved the general staff's operational plan for entering the customs, and secretly formed the first and second armies.

After Wu Fengling got Zhao Dongyun's 1 million yuan in cash and the promise to pay 1.5 million military expenses in the future, he also issued an allocation fee to his troops that had not been issued for a long time, and then gathered the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division, the 1st Mixed Brigade of the Shanxi Army and the 3rd Regiment, a total of 10,000 troops, also quietly left Taiyuan, and then prepared to go to Shijiazhuang along the Zhengtai Railway, Wu Fengling's task is very simple, that is, once Zhao Dongyun enters the customs, he will have to hold the Jinghan Railway, well, or hold Shijiazhuang, Blocking Wang Ruxian and Wang Shizhen's troops from going north to reinforce Wang Yingkai.

Zhao Dongyun and Wu Fengling's army is frequently mobilized, so it is naturally impossible to hide the inquiries of people with intentions, and Wang Yingkai on the other hand has also strengthened the defense of the front line of Tangshan and Chengde, especially the three places of Ninghe, Baodi, and Jixian on the front line of Tangshan are even more armies.

In this case, the so-called excuse for war is no longer needed, although the people in the outside world may not know it, but the warlords in the country know that the war is on the verge of breaking out.

On June 12, Zhao Dongyun's main force, the Third Division, boarded the train in the dark night before dawn, and then quietly headed towards Tangshan.

Just an hour after leaving Shanhaiguan on the train of the Third Division, Wang Yingkai of the Beijing Division was urgently shouted: "This is urgent news from the Japanese embassy!" ”

Wang Yingkai took the telegram and looked at it, although his expression was a little panicked at first, but he quickly calmed down: I knew it, I knew that Zhao Ziyang was unwilling, and now he is really in the customs! ”

As he put on his clothes and went out, he said: "Order the First Division to immediately enter the front line of Baodi, and then call Wang Zhanyuan in Jinan, and ask him to immediately lead the Seventh Division north!" ”