The significance of Mengshan Army's official nickname of Beiyang Fifth Town is significant and far-reaching. If the hasty recruitment of Mengshan Army three years ago was the first step to get rid of its status as a ringing horse, then the following year, because of the merits of King Qin, it was organized as the right wing of the Weisheng Army as a symbol of entering the regular army of the imperial court. However, due to the rapid decline of Rong Lu's health, Cixi's plan to rely on Rong Lu to reorganize the new army came to naught, the right wing of the Weisheng Army was isolated in Lunan, and the military salary came from Yi, Yan, and Shandong Province, and the imperial court did not pay a penny of silver for arms and equipment. But from now on, the Mengshan Army has become a regular unit of the Central Army, which is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, and its military salaries come from the central treasury in Beijing, and the treatment of officers and soldiers is exactly the same as that of the other five towns of the Army.

Except for the core and high-level leaders of the Mengshan Army, most of the officers' first reaction when they learned that it had been reorganized into the Fifth Town of the Central Army was that the unit was going to be greatly expanded, so they wondered whether they would be promoted in this expansion. This is the normal feeling of people, and in those days, the Mengshan Army troops stationed on both sides of the river were beaming, which was also the proper meaning of the question.

Long Qian's first order after receiving the order to reorganize the Fifth Town was to ask Ning Shijun and Zhou Yi, who were stationed in Caozhou to fight the flood, and Situ Jun and Ye Yanbing, who were staying in Lunan, to immediately rush to the temporary headquarters of the Mengshan Army in Tianzhen, Qingcheng County, to discuss the reorganization of the troops.

The second order was given to the General Staff Office, which was required to draw up a sequence listing of the fifth town in accordance with the prescribed establishment and to report the exact number of weapons available.

The staff office immediately got busy. The current situation is somewhat special, Chief of Staff Ning Shijun is in Caozhou, and Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff Situ Jun is staying in Yizhou Daying. The task fell to Jiang Yiliu, deputy chief of the General Staff Department.

The edict on the formation of the Fifth Town attached a table of the establishment of the Fifth Town determined by the Central Military Training Office, which clearly required a prompt report on the shortage of existing weapons, which meant that the center would make up for it according to the equipment of the right wing of the Wasion Army and according to the predetermined establishment.

The department in charge of weapons and equipment of the Mengshan Army is not a logistics office but a staff office, and there is an equipment section under the staff office, which is specially responsible for the allocation of weapons and equipment. Jiang Yiliu, deputy chief of staff of the former army of Wuwei, got the detailed list of weapons and equipment of the whole army provided by the equipment section, and suddenly realized that the commander would never report the actual amount of weapons to the military department, so how should he report it?

Then there is the issue of staffing. The establishment of the standing army of the six towns of Beiyang that has been determined is basically the establishment of the Japanese army. The town is the basic strategic combat unit. Each town has 2 infantry associations. Each assistant has jurisdiction over 2 standards, 3 battalions per standard, 4 teams per battalion, and 3 platoons per team. 3 sheds per row. There are 14 soldiers per shed. The 1st artillery standard has 3 battalions under its jurisdiction. 3 teams per battalion, 3 rows per team, 3 sheds per row. There are 14 soldiers per shed. The cavalry standard 1 has 4 battalions, 4 teams per battalion, 2 platoons per team, 2 sheds per row, and 14 soldiers per shed. The 1st Engineer Battalion has 4 teams, each team has 3 platoons, each platoon has 3 sheds, and each shed has 14 soldiers. The 1st Battalion of the Heavy Infantry has 4 teams, each team has 2 platoons, each platoon has 3 sheds, and each shed has 14 soldiers. There were 748 chief officials and clerks in the town, 10,436 soldiers and 1,328 servants, a total of 12,512.

The existing strength of the Mengshan Army (excluding the reserve forces) is composed of two infantry standards, one battalion of artillery, one cavalry, one battalion of engineering, one battalion of cavalry, one battalion of artillery, one battalion and one battalion of police, plus a huge detachment of directly subordinate organs and military academies accompanying the battalion, the actual strength of the army has reached more than 9,000 people. According to the establishment table, the unit will also expand the number of infantry targets, artillery and cavalry units.

Jiang Yiliu was busy all night, and made up a few forms to find Long Qian.

Long Qian was chatting with Chen Peiyu, the prefect of Wuding, accompanied by Fang Shengyuan, Senator and Wang Zhanjie, the commander of Qingcheng County.

Knowing that the right wing of the Weisheng Army had been expanded into the fifth town of the Central Army, Governor Chen sent a post to congratulate Long Qian on his ascension and invited Long Qian to go to the city for a drink, but Long Qian politely refused. Chen Peiyu realized that he had been entrusted, and a five-grade prefect could not compare to the commander of the new army in any case, so he personally came to Tianzhen, congratulated Long Qian in person, and sent a large congratulatory gift.

Although the civil and military affairs are different, Chen Peiyu is grateful for the achievements of the Mengshan army in fighting the flood, if there is no Mengshan army sacrificing his life to protect the berm, Wuding Mansion will suffer a great disaster, and his official career will also be affected. The second is to realize that Long Qian's status in the eyes of the imperial court has been so important in the year of his establishment, and he concluded that this person has a bright future, so he has a heart of stuttering. The two talked about recruiting soldiers, Chen Peiyu said that the people of Wuding Mansion were grateful for the benevolence and righteousness of the army, hoped that the army would recruit more children in the province, and hoped that the headquarters of the fifth town would be stationed in Wuding.

Long Qian accepted the congratulatory gift from Governor Chen's mansion and promised to recruit more Wuding disciples when expanding the army. As for the place where the troops are stationed, it is still necessary to consult the military department. Seeing Jiang Yiliu coming in, Long Qian said to Chen Peiyu with a smile, "The military affairs are busy, so please ask Lord Chen and Lord Wang to rest for a while, and a banquet will be set up at noon, let's have a few drinks."

Chen Peiyu and Wang Zhanjie said goodbye and left.

"Yoshiyanagi, have you taken out the compilation?" Long Qian took a few forms from Jiang Yiliu's hand.

"If you don't understand something, please ask the commander ......"

Long Qian spent more than ten minutes reading the form, "The Fifth Town is completely in accordance with the above regulations, and there is no need to study this." What you should study is the actual establishment of our army, and we should not consider the reserve forces for the first time; we should focus on studying the units that are overstaffed in the existing establishment, and we should keep those that should be retained and those that should be withdrawn should be withdrawn. Explain why. You first come up with a detailed opinion, don't wait for Chief of Staff Ning and Deputy Chief of Staff Situ, they are here, immediately hold a meeting to confirm, and you will report. This one doesn't work, it's too simple. As for weapons, firearms are reported at two-thirds of our actual number, and artillery at half. ”

"Yes......"

"Yiliu, Situ is not here, you are the supreme person in charge of the General Staff Office, do it boldly. In addition, the troops will take over the defense of Shandong Province, and you will consider one opinion together. ”

"Yes."

Sending Jiang Yiliu away, Long Qian said to Fang Shengyuan, "He defected to our army in the Battle of Xigu, and the foundation of the staff business is good, but he is too restrained." We are seriously short of people who can take charge of themselves. ”

"I don't understand the military. But I think the level of your staff officers is really good...... Is it time to take the time to go to Jinan? ”

"It's to discuss with Zhou Futai. However, we will wait until everyone gathers together and decides on a few military matters. Brother Minggao. Do you know why I asked you to talk about the situation in the Northeast? ”

"The commander wants to plot the Northeast?"

Long Qian nodded.

"The direction is wonderful! But the timing needs to be right. In addition, the large-scale deployment of troops to the northeast is afraid that it will be difficult to hide from the eyes and ears of the imperial court...... It's hard to overshadow the Japanese by sea, and we don't have so many ships. ”

"That's what I've been thinking about lately...... By the way, Brother Ming Gao knows most of my officers, who do you think can preside over the affairs of the Northeast? ”

"This ......" Fang Sheng was far from embarrassed, he joined the Mengshan Army for a short time, although he knew the headquarters and the main officers of the first standard, but he couldn't say its characteristics and strengths, "I want the commander to play a big game of chess." The aim is to occupy a piece of territory in the Northeast. Echoing with the main force of our army in Shandong. However, the various forces in the Northeast are entangled together, and they must have the ability to take charge of themselves before they can ......."

This is equivalent to not saying it. Long Qian smiled, "Brother Minggao has always been refreshing, why is he spitting and spitting?" Do you think Lu Shan and Wang Mingyuan are compared. Who is more suitable? I just want to hear what you have to say. ”

"This." Fang Shengyuan groaned. "The contact is short, and I am afraid that there will be mistakes. Lu Biao is courageous, and Commander Wang is steady. Each seems to have its own strengths...... However, since the commander does not include the reserve force in the official establishment, Fang guessed that the commander must be preparing to put this force in the northeast, right? The reserve was brought out by Commander Wang, and it is taboo for soldiers not to know the soldiers, from this point of view, it seems that Wang Mingyuan is more suitable...... Fang's confusion lies in the fact that he does not understand how the commander lays out in Manchuria, and if it is open to our army's march into Manchuria, it seems that it is not in line with the commander's overall strategy, right? ”

"Yes. The layout in the Northeast must be secret and must not have any connection with the Fifth Town. Therefore, to determine in advance the officers to be sent to the Northeast, they must make the greatest sacrifices...... Minggao, I asked you to study the situation in the Northeast, but you didn't come to the conclusion I wanted. ”

"The commander thinks the Russians and the Japanese will go to war?"

"Don't you dare to make that judgment?"

"Since the intervention of the three countries to return Liao, the Japanese have held their breath. Now that the Russians are in the Northeast, the Japanese must be angry to death...... Moreover, the Anglo-Japanese alliance was also signed, and the British would fully support Japan...... Even if our army sends a few thousand people, no matter what method is used to send them over first, I am afraid that a few thousand people will have nothing to do with the overall situation in the Russian-Japanese war......"

"Minggao, the strategic position of the Northeast is extremely important, if the Northeast is exchanged for Shandong, I am willing to give up Shandong. However, I am a greedy person, and I want to have both fish and bear's paws. It is necessary to dominate Shandong, but also want to gain a foothold in the Northeast, at least to occupy a piece of territory. The Russo-Japanese war was a rare opportunity, and the role of an elite force in the rear of the Russians or the Japanese was incalculable. The other side will definitely do everything possible to win over and support our army...... In the long run, Russia and Japan are both mortal enemies, and the worse this dog-eat-dog war becomes, the more beneficial it will be for our country, although the battlefield is in our country. Long Qian stared at Fang Shengyuan, "Brother Minggao, do you estimate that Japan and Russia will start a war, who will win?" ”

"This ...... But in terms of military strength, the Russians have an absolute advantage, and if they wish, they can mobilize a million troops into Manchuria, not to mention a large Pacific Fleet stationed at Arthur Pass...... However, the Trans-Siberian Railway has not yet been fully opened, Russia's supplies come from its European part, the distance is too long, and the Japanese navy is strong, and it is not difficult to land from the Liaodong Peninsula, this battle is difficult to predict. From what I know about Japan, there is hope that the Japanese army will win. ”

"Why?"

"Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan's national strength has been booming, especially after its victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, and it has a vague ambition to dominate Asia. The Japanese army is well-trained and not afraid of death, and if you take out that strength, I am afraid that the Russians will be difficult to resist......"

"I also judged that Japan would win. But it is impossible for them to drive Russia out of the northeast, and at most get South Manchurian from the Russians. The vast land of North Manchu is difficult for the Japanese to touch. My plan was to send troops to North Manchuria...... The Far Eastern branch line of the Russians will be their lifeline, the Japanese spy work is higher than that of the Russians, the Japanese will certainly buy a large number of bandits, implement their strategy of using China to contain Russia, our army on the one hand to suppress the bandits, strike at the beard of the North Manchuria, on the other hand to gain the support of the Russians, when the war is over, strive to occupy a territory in the North Manchuria...... If the Russians are defeated, their control over North Manchuria will inevitably weaken, and in time, the situation in Europe will change, and all the Russian troops in North Manchuria will be withdrawn, and it will be possible for our army to dominate North Manchuria. Of course, this will take time. I haven't told anyone else these words, and after Chief of Staff Ning and them come over, you will make a report on the Northeast, and you will rub these judgments of mine into it and say it in your language. ”

"Done." Fang Shengyuan felt the importance that Long Qian attached to him.

"It's not early, let's invite Governor Chen to dinner, I don't know how much Brother Minggao drinks, you might as well open your mind and try to get drunk." Ha Lu Ha. (To be continued......)