Wang Mingyuan's scheduled meeting had not yet taken place -- it was not an easy task to convene a meeting of senior officers at the front line and above, but the Germans came to the door. On December 11, on a snowy afternoon, two Germans carried white flags into the position of the 3rd Army, and were blindfolded by the 24th Regiment patrol and taken to the regimental headquarters, where Colonel Jiang Hongshan personally sent them to the division headquarters. At the headquarters of the 8th Division, the two Germans issued a certificate issued by Lieutenant General Weix, proving that they were official couriers of the German army, and that the German major who led the team could speak Chinese, and said to the division commander Guan Xingshun, who received him, that if possible, the German side would hold a meeting between the two armies at the level of generals, and the German side had already determined that the person for the talks was Major General Strauss, deputy chief of staff of the 11th Army, who had served in your country for a long time, had good personal relations with many senior officers of your army, and had been a guest at the home of the president of your country. I don't know the exact content, but General Strauss will tell your army in person.

The Major and his guards were just a front stander. Brigadier General Guan Xingshun politely received the two enemy envoys, but did not immediately reply to their requests, saying that he would ask his superiors for instructions. The German major expressed understanding.

After reporting to the chief of staff in charge of military affairs, he made a telephone call to the headquarters in Lublin and directly asked Major General Xue Xiaocai, deputy chief of staff, who was in charge of the operations of the expeditionary force headquarters, to listen to the telephone.

Xue Xiaocai asked Guan Xingshun to wait a while. An hour later, General Wang Mingyuan personally said to Guan Xingshun. You can promise to the Germans, but the meeting place will be on our army's side, and the specific address will be set up at your division headquarters, pay attention to absolute secrecy, and keep the news of the Germans' visit to a minimum.

The Germans received a satisfactory answer, and returned to the German positions from the 24th regiment defense area that night, and two days later, Major General Strauss and the Chinese-speaking major again came to Guan Xingshun's division headquarters, where Wang Mingyuan was already waiting.

After careful consideration, Wang Mingyuan decided to meet Strauss in person. Wang Mingyuan knew this German general. At that time, Strauss was also the chief of staff of the German army in Qingdao. When Mengshan Jun first purchased weapons from Germany, Wang Mingyuan accompanied Situ Jun to participate in negotiations with the Germans.

General Xiong Xun of the 1st Group Army had already arrived in Lublin, but General Shi Dashou was still on his way to Lublin, and Wang Mingyuan discussed with Xiong Xun and Xue Xiaocai on a small scale after receiving Guan Xingshun's report. It is believed that the Germans must have come to the door on their own initiative to seek an armistice. The results of the Brest meeting have not yet come. But the Russian army has already achieved a one-month truce with the Germans. During this time, all sectors of the five corps to which the 1st Army belonged were quite calm, and the Germans stopped reconnaissance at the detachment level. Many front-line troops reported that the Germans were preparing for Christmas and had no intention of fighting at all.

Xiong Xun was clear about Wang Mingyuan's basic attitude and warned Wang Mingyuan, "Commander, the president's telegram is very clear, asking us to contain the German army in front of us and prevent it from realizing the transfer of the main force. It would have been possible for the Germans to seek only a partial ceasefire, which is in fact in fact in place. But asking our troops to retreat will not work. That would discredit the president with the West. ”

Xue Xiaocai agreed with Xiong Xun's opinion.

Wang Mingyuan thought about withdrawing the troops some distance to get close to the Vinnitsa logistics base and shorten the supply line, "Old Xiong, you are right to consider the political influence, but sooner or later our army will withdraw from this area." You have a better grasp of the ideological state of the front-line troops than I do, don't you find out that our soldiers don't want to fight? If we can retreat our troops by one or two hundred kilometers under certain conditions, it is actually a very good thing. Well, I'll talk to him and decide what to do depending on the situation. ”

"However, such a matter of importance should be requested in the country." Xiong Xunjian said, "It's better for me to contact the Germans, which is more proactive." ”

"I'd better go." Wang Mingyuan knew that Xiong Xun's attitude towards war was very different from his own, and if it weren't for his strict prohibition of taking the initiative to provoke, Xiong Xun would probably launch several assaults on a scale above the division level.

What's the point of continuing to attack westward? The president's center of gravity is in the Far East or Central Asia. Whether it's Poland or Ukraine, it's just too far away from China. War was a continuation of politics rather than a search for murder, and Wang Mingyuan admired Xiong Xun's military talent, but expressed disappointment at his political sensitivity.

General Xiong Xun accompanied Wang Mingyuan back to the front again, and Major General Yan Shulin, commander of the 3rd Army, followed him back to the troops. Sure enough, after meeting Strauss, an old friend, and after a brief greeting between the two sides, Strauss showed his cards, and the German army officially established a truce with the Chinese army -- the peace talks between Germany and Russia are progressing smoothly, and Germany is ready to support Poland's recovery, so we don't need to confront each other here, right? It is better for our two armies to retreat separately and disengage.

Strauss did not expect the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army to meet him in person, so he felt the importance that the Chinese army attached to the construction of the German army.

"General Strauss, I agree to achieve an armistice, de facto, without signing any agreement. And we can't completely disengage, you know what I mean? Wang Mingyuan said in a deep voice. Completely ignoring the look that Xiong Xun handed over.

"I understand......" Major General Strauss seemed to understand what Wang Mingyuan meant, and at least he was sure that Chinese didn't want to fight.

"Two methods," Wang Mingyuan continued, "keep the existing front unchanged and let the troops survive the winter." Or we'll give you some ground. ”

Major General Strauss was overjoyed. He had been worried that the Chinese would demand a German retreat, which would expose the wings. Now that the two proposals put forward by the commander-in-chief of the Chinese army were within the predetermined plan, Strauss immediately said that it was completely possible.

"I am inclined to the second, our army wants to create some momentum to prove that the war between us is still going on, that your army can launch an offensive according to the predetermined plan, and that our army will give up some areas, including Lublin."

Strauss blinked, desperately trying to figure out what the Chinese meant.

"There are two more conditions. First, the two armies should secretly exchange prisoners of war. I can tell you unequivocally that your prisoners have been treated humanely by our soldiers, and they will stay in my rear. Second. The weapons and ammunition captured by your army should be returned, and so should we. Once the prisoners of war and weapons have been exchanged, we can agree on a concrete course of action. ”

"And what about the second one?" Strauss asked eagerly.

"The weapons and ammunition of the Russian army captured by your army should also be handed over to a large part of our army, and the number should not be too small, at least one army should be equipped. This is our reward for ceding our territory. ”

Strauss finally understood that the Chinese were seeking to retreat.

"With regard to the exchange of prisoners of war and weapons of your army, I can accede to your request on our behalf. The time can be set after Christmas. However, I need to report to my superiors about the transfer of Lublin by your army and the demand for weapons and ammunition of the Russian army. ”

"Yes. I hope it's faster. ”

The whole meeting took only half an hour. Major General Strauss went back full of joy.

"Commander. The geographical location of Lublin is very important, and with the relinquishment of Lublin, our army will not be able to gain a foothold in Poland. Moreover, the flanks of the Russian front will be exposed. Should such a decision be consulted in China? Xiong Xun stepped back left and right and admonished.

"Zhan Gong (Xiong Xun character). You have to learn to think from a higher standpoint. Politics is far more complicated than military. Is the Russian army still afraid of exposing its flanks? What are they doing in Brest? Did they consult us before negotiating an armistice with the Germans? With your eyes. Don't you see the benefits of retreat for us? The coldest season is just around the corner. Every 100 kilometers of shortened front will reduce the pressure on logistics a lot. ”

"I completely agree with the exchange of prisoners of war, are you asking for Russian-style weapons to give to Denikin and others?"

Wang Mingyuan smiled, "That's right. Weakening Russia is at the heart of the Russian strategy developed by the president. But how to weaken it? In my opinion, it is nothing more than fighting on their own. Now many units of the former Russian Southwestern Front are openly confronting the new regime in Petersburg. Shall we stand between them? We must not only cede Poland, but also gradually cede Western Ukraine and even the whole of Ukraine, and it is my goal to withdraw all the way across the Don River. That would give Denikin and others more room to show. Forget it, the meeting in Vinnitsa is not open, I will prepare a telegram to the president, and I will wait for the reply of the Germans on your territory. Since you're here, you can accompany me to see the troops, the 3rd Army is the old unit I led, just take a look at the 8th Division. ”

Looking at Wang Mingyuan's determined expression, Xiong Xun felt the gap with Wang Mingyuan. Such a heavy decision, Wang Mingyuan made it without asking for instructions. If it were Shi Dashou and himself, he would never dare to reply to the Germans like this. Although he sent a telegram to Long Qian, in Xiong Xun's opinion, he had overstepped his authority. In the military system, probably only Wang Mingyuan has this courage, and even the feudal pillar who has been promoted to marshal seems to be inferior. Xiong Xun remembered the details of the legendary uprising in Guangzhou, and it was the one in front of him who presided over the overall situation and resolutely launched. Whether it's Situ Jun or Feng Guozhu, it's still one step behind Wang Mingyuan.

Xiong Xun admits that Wang Mingyuan's decision was correct. And it is also believed that the president will definitely approve the construction of the commander-in-chief. It's a pity that I spent a lot of effort to build a defensive line, and how much work I spent on mines, barbed wire, and semi-permanent fortifications.

When it comes to the president's trust, in the national defense force system, after the death of Lushan, Wang Mingyuan said that it was second, but I am afraid that he did not dare to say first. During his tenure as Minister of Defense, the Ministry of Defense was extremely powerful, both in the troops

He had known Wang Mingyuan for a long time, but he was not familiar with him. Xiong Xun has always been Ye Yanbing's subordinate after the reorganization of Mengshan, and he became a company commander when Zhengjiazhuang was reorganized, and Ye Yanbing and Wang Mingyuan were both battalion commanders at that time. The people who served as the battalion commander at that time were basically at the level of the commander of the front army, except for Zhou Yi and Feng Lun, who had an accident with Xinning. At the beginning of the founding of the army, Xiong Xun had a very close relationship with Zhou Yi and Feng Lun, especially Feng Lun, who used their meager pocket money to exchange for wine, and a stack of peanuts was a snack for a long time in the tavern of Zhengjiazhuang...... Fortunately, he followed Lushan to the Northeast in the year of Guimao, otherwise he might have been implicated...... Zhou Yi's second division was the starting unit of the Mengshan Army, because of the Xinning Change, a large number of officers were overshadowed on their careers, and the troops were reduced to second-rate, until the Battle of Shandong in the autumn of 1914, which was regarded as the name of this old army...... It is actually a good thing that he left the main force of the Mengshan Army, otherwise he would not have had a smooth ride after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and was promoted all the way to general, and finally sat on an equal footing with those old bosses in terms of military rank, and when the European war is over, he will definitely take over a large military region, and he has the experience of fighting in Russia, and it is estimated that it is either the Northern Military Region or the Northwest Military Region.

The predecessor of the 3rd Army was the 3rd Division of the Mengshan Army, which was formed in Guangdong, and the first division commander was Wang Mingyuan, who said that the 3rd Army was the old unit he led. Wang Mingyuan, accompanied by Xiong Xun and Major General Yan Shulin, inspected the two teams deployed by the 8th Division on the front line, the 23rd Regiment and the 24th Regiment. At the regimental headquarters of the 24th Regiment, Wang Mingyuan specially summoned several officers and soldiers of the patrol who led Major General Strauss through the minefield, and announced on the spot that they would be promoted to the rank of first-class. He patted the machine gunner of the 3rd Battalion of the 24th Regiment on the shoulder and said, "Well done." ”

The commendation of the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force made the sergeant's face pale with excitement, and he could not say a word.

Yan Shulin knew this machine gunner named Zhang Gouwa, who had made a first-class contribution in the counterattack two months ago, and Yan Shulin had personally awarded him the Order of Hero of the Second Class. The machine gunner was already a sergeant, the highest rank of sergeant, and Wang Mingyuan's decision made him officially enter the ranks of officers.

"Look at your bear-like look!" Yan Shulin scolded with a smile, "Dog, where is the courage to fight with the Germans?" After speaking, he smiled and said to Wang Mingyuan and Xiong Xun, "The two commanders don't know, Squad Leader Zhang is a famous combat hero of the 3rd Army, he made great contributions in the last battle, and his deeds were reported to the group army, it was Commander Xiong who changed his medal level, and he was the winner of the second-class hero." ”

It is difficult for ordinary soldiers to receive the Order of Heroes, which is intended for officers.

"Then be promoted to second lieutenant!" Wang Mingyuan smiled and said, "Second Lieutenant, I hope you will make persistent efforts and make new contributions." ”

Zhang Gouwa calmed down, "Report to the chief, I, Zhang Gouwa, am not afraid of death, and the chief asked me to fight wherever I wanted, and there was no ambiguity." ”

"It's good not to be afraid of death, but you can't die lightly." Wang Mingyuan kept a warm smile, "Understand? We are fighting for the sake of the country's long-term peace and stability, prosperity and strength, not for the sake of being heroes. A good officer should not only lead by example, but also be good at understanding the intentions of his superiors. It is up to you to live well, to build and defend our republic! Commander Yan, if it's convenient, let's take a photo with the heroes. (To be continued......)