"I already understand what Your Excellency Inspector means, what does Your Excellency the Governor think is the current strength of the Northeast Army?" Shigeyuki Nitahara asked.

"The Northeast Army on the Middle East Road has the ability of the enemy to be 100,000 Russian troops undefeated, and the strength of the army will not be weaker than the Russian army. Duan Qirui pondered for a moment and said, in his heart, even if there are many Northeast Army, it will not exceed much, after all, he also knows what the three eastern provinces were like before, Qin Yu has only been a few years since he became the Fengtian Overseer, and it is already a great progress to expand the Northeast Army from a 27th division to more than 150,000 people, and I think he also relied on Xiyuan to borrow money to pull the participating army up. Trying to form an army to fight with the central government is tantamount to a dream.

"Not more than 150,000 people, according to our intelligence in the Northeast in recent years, the Northeast Army has reached at least 200,000 people, and it is also equipped with an unknown number of bombers. Ren Tianyuan Shigeyuki said with a solemn face, Boli was defeated, the Japanese army had already gained the upper hand, and even cut off the logistics of the Northeast Army, seeing that victory was within reach, but in the battle of the main forces of the two sides, the Northeast Army suddenly invested in aviation, and in one fell swoop, it crushed the frontal firepower of the Japanese army, resulting in the defeat of the Japanese army and the loss of two major generals on the battlefield. Such a painful lesson, how did the Japanese army not learn and collect all the information they could gather, and the expansion of the Northeast Army was so fast that it made Intawara Shigeyuki stunned.

"At least 200,000 people?" Duan Qirui was stunned for a while, at this time, all the descendants in his hands that could be mobilized added up to no more than eighty thousand, and he could still stabilize the direct lineage, although several other Anhui generals usually supported his actions, but once the Northeast Army entered the customs in a big way. I am afraid that there is no one who can really withstand the pressure and send troops to help, even if the Anhui cadre Ni Sichong is also seriously ill at this time, and none of the generals under his command can take the lead. If the strength of the Northeast Army reaches such a point, how can this battle be fought?

"What's the matter, Your Excellency has lost confidence?" Nitahara said with a smile.

"Even though I have the heart to fight to the death, the Northeast Army is so strong. It is more than twice as much as the army that I can control in my hands, close to three times, and the disparity in strength is so great that I am afraid that I will not be able to resist the advance of the Northeast Army. "Duan Qirui was born in the army, and he knows that there are not many cases of winning by tricks on the battlefield, especially after the machine guns and cannons appear one after another, it is the strength that fights, and the impact of the general's personal ability on the battlefield has been weakened a lot compared to ancient times. The scene of more than 100,000 Northeast troops rushing out of the customs. If you change to an ordinary general, I'm afraid you won't have the heart to go to war.

"Your Excellency should not be arrogant, although the Northeast Army has strong troops, but at least more than half of the troops must be left to defend the Northeast, do you think that after a big battle with our army in Boli, Qin Yu will rest assured that the troops outside the pass will be drawn clean?" Ren Tian Yuan re-entered the pass, if Qin Yu really transferred troops into the pass, the empty ruins outside the pass. Japan will never miss this fatal opportunity. However, based on the Japanese side's research on Qin Yu, Qin Yu would never take risks in this kind of matter. Neither Japan nor Tohoku can trust each other.

"Your Excellency General, how much does Qin Yu think Qin Yu can send to the south to knock on the pass?" Duan Qirui asked with a perked spirit.

"At that time, our army was in Lushun, Dalian, on the Korean border, and even in the Russian Far East, making a posture of intent to attack the Northeast, and the Northeast would certainly refuse to risk the threat of being attacked by our army and draw a large number of troops into the pass. The Northeast is the land of four wars, Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Mukden are all facing the threat of war. In the Far East, there are more than 50,000 of our troops. In addition, the Eastern Railway leads directly to Vladivostok, and the Northeast Army must at least put the same or even more troops to guard against our army. Harada Renshiyuki took out a map of the Northeast and pointed out the key location to Duan Qirui.

"In Fengtian, there are garrisons of our Kwantung Division, and in order to prevent and suppress the outbreak of our garrison and bring heavy losses to the Northeast, Qin Yu must at least double his forces to maintain an overwhelming advantage. Lushun is a military fortress, and the imperial soldiers are stationed here, it can be said unceremoniously that even if the Northeast Army is all gone, it will not want to take the fortress, and the brigade will be the bridgehead protection, and the empire will make a situation of increasing the number of troops and brigades, Qin Yu in order to ensure the most important Fengtian, but also to deal with the front on the Korean border, Fengtian troops must be left at least 60,000 to 70,000, and there are one or two divisions in Jilin in the center to respond. In other words, the Northeast Army that can be transferred into the customs is only 50,000 to 60,000 at most. ”

"In this case, then a big thing can be accomplished, as long as the size of the participating army is expanded by another 20,000 or 30,000 people, the direct line of Cao Kun can be guaranteed to win, and strive to solve the direct army before the Northeast Army enters the pass, when the participating army in the pass is dominant, and many local overseers who were originally ambiguous will also choose to stand on the central side. Then the Northeast Army is no longer afraid. ”

Duan Qirui struck the knot, and at the same time was worried about Harada Renshigeyuki's behavior of taking out the map of the Northeast at any time, it seems that after establishing the absolute dominant position of the central government, it is necessary to strengthen the defense against Japan, otherwise it will be sold by the Japanese and I don't know. However, at this time, under the threat of the Northeast, the cooperation between the two sides still has a little foundation. In any case, the Japanese side finally got a definite reply, the two sides have common interests for the time being, and if the Northeast Army enters the customs, it will certainly not recognize such a large sum of money he borrowed.

"Not only to expand the ground forces, but also to have a number of aviation units worthy of a war, and even tanks and combat vehicles on the Western battlefield, in order to ensure victory in this battle."

Harada Hitoshigeyuki's eyes flashed, the previous defeat in Boli was a pain that could not be swept away in the hearts of all Japanese, and more than 10,000 soldiers were lost, and this revenge must be avenged in the future. Both sides of the battle contributed to the battle, and the fragile logistics could not bear the full strength of the two armies. However, the war in Guannai can become a touchstone, and the logistics pressure of the Northeast Army can be said to be reduced to the lowest along the Jingbong Road.

"Tanks and combat vehicles? Is it too late? Duan Qirui said suspiciously, he was no stranger to aviation, Yuan Shikai had run Nanyuan Aviation School before. In the conquest and suppression of Bai Lang, aviation troops were also used, and Zhang Xun, the expulsion of the pigtail army, was also used, and the pilots were ready-made. However, for the tanks that only appeared in the European battlefield, Duan Qirui heard for the first time that the Northeast Army had been used in the Middle Road War. He didn't know about it either.

"Of course, it's much easier to set up a tank than an airplane. We can help you expand your army again to form an air force and tank fighting vehicles, but I would like to ask you to meet a small request from the Empire. Hitoshi Harada squinted and smiled.

"Your Excellency General, if you have any requirements, you may as well tell me."

"These new armies of Your Excellency have all hired our officers for training, and in addition, in the event of a war, we will send a certain number of personnel into the army to observe the real combat strength of the Northeast Army. Of course, there is one final request, and that is that your country's position at the Paris Peace Conference should be consistent with mine. "Hitoshi Harada shishiki. As for the biggest stumbling block to the empire's march into China in the future, we must do our best to understand, know ourselves and the enemy, and not be defeated in a hundred battles.

"There is no problem with military training, as for the peace conference, I will not sign any written agreement, I can only exert influence secretly through the guò government, and you know that I am no longer the prime minister now. Dealing with such international affairs is not in the right name, and it is not in good words. I'm afraid it won't work out. Duan Qirui hesitated, but finally agreed, as long as the direct army was defeated and the main force of the Northeast Army was defeated, the Japanese would take advantage of it. Duan Qirui was thinking so in his heart, as for the matter at the Paris Peace Conference. He also used the excuse that he had stepped down from the prime minister's position to set up a small ambush.

"The Northeast Army is very strong, and with the current participating army, it is far from being an opponent. If you want to unify the Republic of China, Your Excellency must rely on the power of the empire, and I believe that Your Excellency will do it. Hitoshigeyuki Harada smiled meaningfully.

…………

Those who had been leaving Paris before the war had already returned one after another. At the beginning of the peace conference, the peoples of all countries celebrated in their own unique ways what was seen as an hour of eternal peace. Americans paraded in the streets draped in flags. The British are very gentlemanly and party in the streets, the French romantically dance in the streets, and the Japanese have a more unique way of shouting long live.

The joy of the Japanese is from the bottom of their hearts, and after the European War, Japan has become a second-class power in the world, and its international status has been greatly enhanced. Although they were the two people with the lowest status among the five powers, they were still together with the heads of state and foreign ministers of Britain, the United States, France, and Italy to form a ten-member decision-making group in the peace conference.

However, the results of the peace conference represented the division of interests among the great powers after the European war, and the two sides quarreled endlessly, and the conference was interrupted several times. And Japan's movements are more closely related to the Republic of China.

One afternoon at the meeting, the representative of Japan, Nobu Makino, read out a simple statement in an arrogant tone. The Jiaozhou Bay loan, the railway, and all German interests in Shandong should be unconditionally transferred to Japan. The Shandong issue should also be resolved on the basis of the agreements and treaties agreed upon by China and Japan.

To this end, Nobu Makino also read out the secret agreement between Japan and Britain, France, Italy, and other countries before the European War on the transfer of German rights and interests in Shandong to Japan.

I thought that I could use the representative of the Republic of China, who was one of the victorious countries, to suddenly hear this agreement, which was tantamount to a bolt from the blue.

Immediately after Nobuaki Makino's speech, Clemenceau asked the Chinese delegates if they were willing to reply to Japan's statement. The Chinese delegation had thought that the Shandong issue could be included in the proposal to abolish the unequal treaties, so it had not made any special preparations. After receiving the indication from the Delegation of China that it needed time to prepare its statement, Clemenceau adjourned the meeting. The Chinese delegation would respond the following day.

Gu Weijun, after Lu Zhengxiang paid homage to the Chinese cemetery in France, the diplomatic methods and wording used were also clever. And Gu Weijun said: "China's Confucius is like the Jesus of the West, China cannot lose Shandong, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem." It has become a famous quote and has been quoted by many important newspapers in the West. It once aroused the sympathy and support of US President Wilson.

Gu Weijun caused a sensation in the whole of Paris, but then he was forced by strong pressure from Japan and pressure from within the Beiyang government. As a result, the situation of the diplomatic corps in Paris is becoming increasingly difficult.

………

"The company plans to import 45,000 tons of crude oil this year. Excluding the part used for storage, the company's newly arrived equipment can refine 31,500 tons of heavy oil, more than 2,360 tons of kerosene, more than 4,530 tons of diesel, and more than 1,270 tons of gasoline......"

Du Liming reported to Qin Yu the various numbers of the newly established petrochemical plant, put down the text, Du Liming smiled, "The newly established chemical plant is full of talents, 31 German technicians are employed alone, and there are 17 students from MIT and Caltech. ”

"Is it much? You still don't understand the role that oil will play in the industry of the future, ships, cars, airplanes. A large part of the important position of coal will be replaced by oil, and the industry derived from the petrochemical industry, which has millions of benefits, the industry on the Republic of China started late, and the demand for oil is not large, do you know that Lawrence Rockefeller, the richest man in the United States, started with oil, and now he has more than a billion dollars. Qin Yu opened the eyes of this capable financial general.

"A billion dollars? Isn't that a rich country, the deposits of the entire Huaxing Bank don't add up to so much, there are no such rich people in the world, right? Du Liming's eyes widened, and there was a look of disbelief on his face, and now the more than 30 million people in the entire northeast have only generated a little more than 200 million yuan in fiscal revenue for the government a year, which is only a little more than 100 million dollars when converted into dollars. It's appalling.

"You don't even believe me? I have time to contact Zhang Shun, I don't know how high the sky outside is and how wide the sea is if I don't go out. Zhang Shun is only afraid that he is addicted to staying in the United States, and he did not come back for the Chinese New Year last year. Qin Yu scolded with a smile, of course Rockefeller actually does not have so much liquidity, but there is something called stocks, of course, the strength of so many oil and financial enterprises under his command is also very terrifying.

"Okay, let's get down to business, you're right, these people can form a prestigious school when they pull them out. What I mean is that Huaxing Financial will fund the establishment of a petroleum university to train petroleum employees, and the technicians and technicians of its branch enterprises, as well as the oil reserves should be increased, and we cannot wait for foreigners to intervene too much in this market. You also know that I will win over the power of Britain and the United States in the future, once the demand for oil in Northeast China rises, it is impossible for the oil giants of Britain and the United States and other countries to not see this emerging market, and then they will have to compete with the international giants. There is also the need to increase the production of diesel and gasoline. Qin Yu reminded.

Du Liming's face also nodded a little solemnly at this time, and then said, "Dashuai, about the import of oil this time, do you want to release the news?" ”

"No need, I'll ask the arranger to leak the news to the Japanese." Qin Yu smiled mysteriously, Japan was densely populated with spies in the Northeast, so he asked Chen Tao to arrange a few detailed works to sell the news to Japan, and he could also make some extra money for the intelligence agencies. Of course, it was only a part of the information about the Northeast oil reserves, and it was deliberately let the Japanese know, and it was Qin Yu who acted carefully to let the Japanese know about the lack of oil deposits in the Northeast. As long as there are no large oil deposits in Tohoku, Japan will not be so eager to annex Tohoku. (To be continued......)