Shaoguan Southern Army Forward Command Post. On the evening of August 11.

After the 1st Brigade's attack on Hengyang failed in two attacks, under the concentrated artillery bombardment of the emergency construction position, Nancheng was blown open a gap of about 50 meters, and the main force of the 1st Division, the former 17th Standard of the Fifth Town and the current 1st Brigade and 1st Regiment, broke through the gap, and the First Standard of the Hunan New Army, which had stubbornly resisted for a day, finally lost its fighting spirit, and in addition to paying more than 110 people killed, a small number of troops were captured, and most of them fled across the Xiangjiang River.

Situ, who had no time to deploy the follow-up operation to occupy Hengyang, received a report from the Shandong war.

"After a day of bloody fighting, the Third Town, after paying heavy casualties, broke through the line of the 16th Brigade and crossed the canal. Xue Xiaocai withdrew to the second line position. He reported to Long Qian, who was standing at the door.

"It's only been a day, and you've been forced to retreat in one day? How? Is the third town really that powerful? Send a report to Ye Yanbing and fight back, Cao Kun's arrogance must be beaten down. Long Qian was a little dissatisfied with the situation in Texas.

The Battle of Hengyang showed that Hunan was not all smooth sailing, and the first standard of the Hunan New Army, which had not been taken seriously, showed good combat power. This situation aroused Long Qian's vigilance, and also caused Long Qian's inner irritability.

Under him, the generals of the Southern Army had zero experience in big battles. Compared to now, the previous battles now seem to be petty fights.

"Commander, don't be in a hurry. Yan Shulin should be rewarded for one day in Hengyang. Especially the artillery did a good job. Yan Shulin asked for credit to the artillerymen. Situ Jun replied calmly.

"Hmm," Long Qian immediately realized that he was indeed a little impatient, and the battle started well. Even Shandong should not be nervous because Cao Kun crossed the canal, this is just the beginning.

"Forget it, cancel the telegram just now." Long Qian thought for a moment.

"It's been sent." Director of Communications Leung Chun-shan reported.

"Commander, we should set off and move the forward command post into Hengyang." Situ Jun suggested.

"That's up to you. Why don't you eat? Eat and eat. Long Qian was in a happy mood again.

On the evening of August 11, Pingyuan County, Shandong. Division headquarters of the 6th Division.

"It has been verified that the first battalion of the 46th Regiment has suffered basic losses, and it is determined that Fan Yimin was killed, and the losses of the remaining two battalions are not large. The combat power remains. Qu Zhiyong has already stood firm in the second-line position. The enemy's losses were not small. Eleven has stopped. Qu Hongxiang, chief of staff of the Sixth Division, reported to Ye Yanbing.

"Qu Zhiyong, this stupid guy should be damned! The 46th Regiment retreated, resulting in the right flank of the 47th Regiment being exposed. Tomorrow they will definitely attack the position of the 47th Regiment to the south, and in addition, Cao Kun has this foothold. It's troublesome...... "under candlelight." Ye Yanbing's face was cloudy. "Can't let them be so comfortable, order Xue Xiaocai to transfer the forty-eighth regiment. Take the position back for me! ”

Qu Hongxiang has been engaged in military academy education for many years, and his military theoretical literacy is higher than Ye Yanbing's, "Division commander, it is not appropriate to deploy a formation along the river, we have established a strong in-depth position, I don't think there is any need to fight back." The 48th Regiment is the reserve of the 16th Brigade, don't use it lightly, right? ”

"Momentum! You can't let Cao San's fool have the upper hand all at once! Ye Yanbing said fiercely.

At this time, Long Qian's telegram arrived.

"The commander ordered a counterattack. Let's do it. Through the deep night, Ye Yanbing seemed to see Long Qian's anxious gaze thousands of miles away.

The situation in Texas must be reported to the headquarters at any time, at this time Long Qian's regulations. Ye Yanbing immediately reported to the headquarters of the Shandong Army in Jinan after the defeat of the 46th Regiment, and of course Ning Shijun would report the situation to the headquarters of the Mengshan Army.

After Ye Yanbing gave the counterattack order, he didn't think of the young company commander Chen Hao, who had always respectfully called his brother-in-law.

At 8 o'clock in the morning of 12 August, the four artillery groups deployed by the Sixth Division in the direction of Dezhou bombarded the positions of the original 46th Regiment indiscriminately for an hour, dropping 3,000 shells of different calibres on that piece of projectile land. At one point, the position of the eleventh standard was broken, and a fierce white-knuckle fight took place between the two sides. With the reinforcement of the ninth target urgently transferred by Cao Kun, the position recaptured by the 48th Regiment was lost again, and the commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 48th Regiment, who led the charge and personally engaged in hand-to-hand combat, was killed, and the troops suffered heavy casualties, and were driven back to the starting place by the opponent. Two hours of bloody fighting crippled two battalions of the 48th Regiment. As a result, the team, which served as the reserve of the 16th Brigade, lost its offensive power.

Ye Yanbing, who personally arrived at the front line, stopped the 16th Brigade's request for another counterattack next, and said to the main officer of the 16th Brigade, "No reversal!" The other two divisions of Beiyang have come up, and you must rely on your own strength to keep Cao Kun's troops in front of the second-line position. Reorganize the troops and focus on defense. Time is on our side, we can afford to drag it, but they can't afford it! Ye Yanbing, who had calmed down, sneered, "Commander Ning has transferred the battle report of the Southern Army, Hengyang has fallen, Changsha is in sight, and when Commander Long's army enters Wuchang, what do I think he will do in Beiyang?" ”

"Division commander, the commander's order ......" Long Qian's call last night put great pressure on the 16th Brigade, and Xue Xiaocai asked cautiously.

"I'm fully responsible. Lao Xue, now it's a critical moment, don't be heartbroken by the casualties of the troops, recruits can't mature without such a big battle, veterans who have experienced bloody battles and even wounded are real soldiers. ”

"The flanks of the forty-seventh regiment are exposed, what should I do?" Because the bloody battle in the morning attracted Cao Kun's attention, the 47th Regiment, which was deployed on the southern flank of the 16th Brigade, did not come under great pressure.

"Don't move during the day! Let them nail me to the position! Withdraw to the second-line positions after dark, carefully organize, and the artillery will cooperate with you at all times. Lao Xue, the 16th Brigade is the main force of our division, and Cao Kun, the third town commanded by our old defeated generals, is known as the first main force in Beiyang! That's how the trump card was played, Cao Kun will be handed over to you, and the three brigades of our division will be divided into three towns in Beiyang! Don't count on the Seventh Division, Wu Nian must take care of Yizhou, we can't afford to lose Yizhou! There are all our steel bases there, and if we lose Yizhou, we won't be able to fight. Therefore, in addition to the regiment that remained in Yizhou, the military department was also preparing to use another regiment of the 19th Brigade for the southern front. In this way, the 7th Division had only one 20th Brigade with 70% of the recruits in reserve. And there is a first town in Beiyang that has not shown up. I see? ”

"Please rest assured, teacher." Xue Xiaocai replied immediately, "The 16th Brigade will never let the enemy cross the second-line position!" ”

"I'll send you an engineer battalion and give me reinforcements as hard as you can. Put up all the barbed wire fences that have just been transported, lay more mines, and let the corpses of Cao Kun in the dog days be all over the field in front of the position, and the blood will flow like a river! ”

The last eight words are Long Qian's original words to the Sixth Division's defensive battle instructions before the battle, "You must rely on the existing position, not give up an inch of land, and let the main force of Beiyang be strewn with corpses in front of you, and blood will flow like a river!" ”

Ye Yanbing remembered these bloody eight words.

From 2 p.m. on the 11th. Cao Kun's artillery concentrated on bombarding the positions of the 47th Regiment. Under the control of the new 9th Standard, which crossed the river to occupy the position of the original 16th Regiment, the 12th Standard on the opposite bank launched a river-crossing attack. Relying on the support of artillery at the division and brigade levels and the cover of the blazing flank machine-gun fire of the 46th Regiment, which retreated into the second line position, it repelled fierce attacks from two directions and stubbornly held its position. After dark. Under the cover of the artillery group without stopping. Three battalions of the 47th Regiment alternated cover. Withdrew from the riverbank positions and retreated into the preset second-line positions.

After two days of bloody fighting, Cao Kun's third town used all four step markers. After paying more than 2,000 casualties, the whole army finally crossed the Grand Canal.

On the evening of August 11, Hengshui, the headquarters of the Beiyang Army.

Yuan Shikai was very dissatisfied with the battle situation in the third town in the past two days. In particular, he was particularly angry after hearing the casualty report of Cao Kun's Third Town. It has been ascertained that in the direction of Wuqiao, where the second town is preparing for the attack, and in the direction of the old city where the fourth town is preparing for the attack, the Shandong Army has each deployed a brigade of troops and is ready to fight. The fierce assault of the Third Town did not mobilize the opponent's forces, and they seemed to have learned of their military plans!

"Marshal, almost all the main forces of the Shandong Army have been concentrated in Texas. The 6th Division was a large establishment of 3 brigades and 9 regiments, and the artillery was fierce and there were plenty of shells. Cao Zhongshan played well! Wang Shizhen said to Yuan Shikai.

"Nice fart!" Yuan Shikai knocked on the map and said, "Counting the strength alone, Cao Kun's advantage is not big, but don't forget, Long Qian's main force is in Jiangnan!" Hengyang has been lost, Changsha is in danger, we don't have time! Besides, if Cao Kun is beaten like this only by temporarily recruited recruits, even if we take Jinan, what will we use against Long Qian's main force? Hengyang was lost, the center was shaken, and Long Qian's division in Guangxi, which was lost by Tieliang, was already approaching Guilin! The central center wants me to go back to Beijing to discuss, what to discuss? Can it be withdrawn from Shandong now? Do you still want a Jingshi? ”

"It's time for the first town, if they break through from the Yangxin area into Shandong, it will definitely shake the entire defense line of Shandong. Commander, give the order immediately. Wang Shizhen suggested.

"Joke, what a joke! Lao Tzu actually relied on the first town flag man to save him? Joke! Yuan Shikai became more and more excited, "Cao Zhongshan is incompetent!" Cao Zhongshan is incompetent! The herald ordered that Li Chun and Feng Guozhang's troops should launch an attack no later than the early morning of the day after tomorrow! Beiyang's life and death are at stake here! ”

"Is it to transfer the first mixed concord to the same level?" Wang Shizhen always felt that the troops were insufficient.

"Then the Jingshi will be empty! What do foreigners think of us? Well? Pingqing, don't you know, foreigners are already suspicious of us, especially the danger in the south, Zhu Erdian asked me the story of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, you still don't know? Yuan Shikai slowed down his tone, "Hireqing!" I really didn't expect Long Qian, a yellow-mouthed son, to accumulate such a lot of strength in a few years! Tie Liang'er has his eyes on me, and he is trying to get rid of me, but he doesn't know that there is a bigger tiger left outside! What a joke, what a joke! Now we want Beiyang to work hard with others! ”

Wang Shizhen lowered her voice, "Dashuai, my subordinates are also worried about this." If we Beiyang hurt our vitality in Shandong, no matter how we look, we will have no capital to speak. ”

Yuan Shikai's face changed greatly. With a wave of his hand, he drove the three staff officers in the room out of the room, "Pingqing, what did you mean by what you just said?" ”

"I saw the telegram that Long Huisi sent you, and Feng Huafu also saw it. Hua Fu thought that only with soldiers in his hands could he have room for bargaining. "Wang Shizhen is an old descendant, and he has no scruples about speaking.

"How can you think that! Pingqing, you have been with me for many years, do you think Long Qian has won the world and will give Beiyang a way out? Will give us people a way out? Stop dreaming! Yuan Shikai remembered Wang Shizhen's past when he fell into the hands of Long Qian nine years ago, "Only when you can fight can you make peace!" If you don't defeat Shandong, where will Long Qian face me Beiyang? You must not talk nonsense, you know? ”

"Long Qian's strategy is far-reaching, and now the north and the south are launched together, making it difficult for the imperial court to take care of it, this battle is difficult!" Wang Shizhen is a member of Yuan Shikai's inner circle, and he is not worried that he is overdoing it, "Dashuai, Beiyang is yours, and it is not easy to accumulate this family foundation." Long Qian is very human, since he said that he hopes that Beiyang will become a national defense powerhouse, Gai is not empty words. I hope that the handsome man will think twice. After speaking, Wang Shizhen withdrew from the house, leaving Yuan Shikai to ponder by himself.

Yuan Shikai, who is in an ambitious state of mind, of course understands what Wang Shizhen means. But rather being the head of the chicken than the queen of the ox is the main aspect of his character. Moreover, he has served the Manchu Qing Dynasty for decades, how can he turn his back on it? How will history evaluate itself?

On August 12, Yuan Shikai strictly ordered Cao Kun to continue to storm the position of the 16th Brigade and strive to mobilize the strength of the 6th Division, while urging Li Chun and Feng Guozhang to make all preparations before the attack. Since Cao Kun's attack in the direction of Liu Zhimiao did not mobilize the forces of the Sixth Division, a strong attack was inevitable.

Cao Kun commanded the three targets to cross the river to attack in turn, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., without advancing an inch. The sudden appearance of barbed wire in front of the 16th Brigade's position became the main reason for the failure of Cao Kun's attack. These barbed wire, with their spikes, were so nasty that the infantry could not climb without explosives, and a large number of brave soldiers were killed by the defenders' machine guns and killed by grenades in front of the barbed wire. Cao Kun had never seen such a thing, and after braving the artillery fire, he went to the front line to observe and cursed, and there was no way but to bombard it with artillery. At noon, Cao Kun resolutely ordered the offensive to be stopped, and while reporting new difficulties, he studied ways to break the barbed wire array. The sappers rushed into action to make a large number of planks, but today they are not needed.

Yuan Shikai was even more annoyed, but it was not easy to blame Cao Kun. The staff officers sent down reported in detail the battle situation in the third town, believing that the third town had done its best, and it was not that Cao Commander did not make a difference, but that the opponent's position was too complicated.

Yuan Shikai had lost faith in Cao Kun, and he pinned his hopes on Li Chun and Feng Guozhang. However, according to intelligence, the troops of the 6th Division on the north and south flanks of the third town were not moved, and they were still squatting in their original positions.

Of course, Yuan Shikai didn't know that his plan had been fully mastered by the Shandong army. Otherwise, with the current situation that Ning Shijun and Ye Yanbing lacked combat experience in commanding a large army, under Cao Kun's onslaught regardless of casualties, they might transfer the defenders in the two directions of the ancient city and Wuqiao to the direction of Liu Zhimiao.

Wu Peifu did not participate in the attack on the 16th Brigade of the Shandong Army by the 3rd Town on 12 August. After two consecutive days of bloody battles, the strongest foot mark of the Third Town lost its offensive ability. repeatedly checked the casualty list, which made Wu Peifu, who loved soldiers like a son, tremble in distress. Even if the troops are enriched, it is not the eleventh standard of the original team!

Cao Kun, who came to the eleventh target again, said to Wu Peifu nonchalantly, Ziyu don't have to be discouraged, tomorrow Li Xiushan and Feng Huafu will be put into the attack, and the Shandong army is finished!

Cao Kun firmly believed that Ye Yanbing's division would not be able to stop the onslaught of the three towns in Beiyang no matter what. (To be continued......)