At two o'clock in the morning of August 15, Yuan Shikai convened the second high-level military meeting since the start of the war at Liu Zhimiao. The commanders and co-commanders of the three towns who were engaged in the attack were all summoned by Yuan Shikai to the command post of Liu Zhimiao.

Yuan Shikai had a hunch that the problem was serious. Although Feng Guozhang's carefully planned attack was successful, breaking down the opponent's two lines of defense in succession, it was finally blocked by the last position, and Feng Guozhang ignored Yuan Shikai's strict order to continue the offensive overnight, and withdrew his troops on the grounds that the casualties were too heavy and the troops were tired.

Compared with the other two towns, the fourth town was a brilliant battle, capturing about 1,100 Shandong troops and capturing a large number of weapons and ammunition. But the success fell short, Feng Guozhang's fourth town was blocked by the reserve team transferred by Ye Yanbing, and lost the chance to win. This result made Yuan Shikai deeply dissatisfied, he did not listen to Feng Guozhang's report on the number of casualties of the troops, and repeatedly said that the success was not enough! Falling short!

Indeed, the attack of the 4th Town on the 18th Brigade on 14 August did create a serious crisis for the 6th Division. Later, countless war historians put forward countless hypotheses about this, what would have been the result if Feng continued to attack overnight? Can you break through the most rearline of the Shandong Army? What will happen if there is a breakthrough? Will Beiyang annihilate the 6th Division in Texas? In view of the casualties of the three towns of Beiyang in the five-day bloody battle, how much strength did they have to rush to Jinan? You must know that Lu Daoning Shijun also has a seventh division in his hand.

But none of that makes sense. It is okay to study as a history of war, but it makes no sense to hypothesize. Because the defense line of the 6th Division did not collapse, although the 18th Brigade was defeated, the 6th Division still had combat strength.

The all-day bloody battle, preliminary statistics show that the losses in Beiyang are more than 4,000 people. This figure includes the losses of the second and third towns. This result. It made Yuan Shikai heartbroken and angry.

What made Yuan Shikai even more annoyed was that the three commanders of Feng, Cao, and Li, who rushed to Liu Zhimiao, were all apprehensive about today's battle, with panic and confusion on their faces that could not be concealed.

"Let's talk about it, what should I do?" Yuan Shikai and the other big guys sat down and said, "Duanfang has arrived in Beijing, and I will call to ask when the war in Shandong will end." ”

"Marshal, it's time for the first town to go out." It's still Feng Guozhang, "Yesterday's battle in the last stage proved that Ye Yanbing had used the new force. This unit should be Wu Nian's Seventh Division! Wuding is empty! ”

Yuan Shikai's eyes were swollen. It's the same as Ye Yanbing. Yuan Shikai, who was seriously sleep-deprived, had a sallow face, "Hmm? He didn't seem to understand what Feng Guozhang meant.

What Hua Fu said was. It's time for Yin Chang to go out. We're fighting for them! Li Chun said loudly.

"And Zhang Xun!" This time it was Cao Kun, "Why don't you hurry up from the south?" The marshal should give a death order to Zhang Xun and tell him to hurry up. Don't try to save your little soldiers. ”

"Dignified Beiyang. You've lost all your face! Yuan Shikai roared. The crowd was silent.

Yuan Shikai's heart was also in pain, and after five days of fighting, the cumulative casualties had already exceeded 10,000. It's all his money! Who would have thought that a small Shandong would be so difficult to fight and so desperate!

The handsome man was angry. For today's plan, the only way to do this is to let Yinchang make contributions. Wang Shizhen muttered, "The blood of the Sixth Division is about to drain up, since Hua Fu has concluded that Ye Yanbing has a new force in his hands, there is no doubt that it should be Wu Nianbu." Zhang Xun couldn't count on it, the Shandong army was cunning and left a large army in Lunan, and Zhang Xun just played a little bit of a diversion role. Wang Shizhen paused for a moment, "Marshal, the Three Towns troops in our hands should be used carefully, this is not as good as Long Qian." Even if the Sixth Division was defeated, his main force was not damaged. But these three towns hurt their muscles and bones, and it will not be easy to do in the future. ”

Li Chun immediately answered, "The loss is too great, and the following is full of suffering." I've already sent all the bounties given by the marshal, but it doesn't work. ”

Wang Shizhen's words moved Yuan Shikai. Indeed, the three towns in your hands must not be allowed to lose too much blood! This is his roots! Since the beginning of the war, silver has been drained like water, and ammunition has been tightened, especially artillery shells. Although the Japanese and the British promised loans, it took time for the materials needed to be transported, and the ammunition in Beiyang's inventory over the years, especially large-caliber shells, had been consumed too much in Texas. And silver! From the assembly of troops to the wartime incentive, Yuan Shikai has spent almost all the three million silver dollars he raised from the household department! Li Chun and Cao Kun unanimously proposed to organize death squads to charge the battle, but yesterday's result was a mess, and nothing was achieved except to force the 16th Brigade to retreat to the third line of defense. The retreat of the 16th Brigade was different from the rout of the 18th Brigade, and it was an organized retreat, which showed that Cao Kun, an old opponent, still had the strength to resist Cao Kun, but Cao Kun no longer wanted to fight, which Yuan Shikai saw completely clearly.

In a flash, Yuan Shikai remembered the telegram Long Qian had given him. But now it's useless, the battle is like this, and to talk about peace is to surrender on the knees, and Long Qian won't have any good face for himself at all.

I really regret that I didn't strangle Long Qian with the strength to strangle Long Qian at the beginning. There are many things to regret, and the opportunity is given to me again and again, but he has never taken Long Qian seriously. The energy is focused on the battle of the center, sitting back and watching Long Qian sit big, as soon as the "survey and electricity" comes out, the court is already in turmoil...... The eighth town has been transferred to Changsha, what will be the result of Zhang Biao?

The room was silent. Except for everyone's whirring panting.

"Okay, send a telegram to Yinchang, let him speed up, attack Jiyang from Wuding, and then cross the river and assault Jinan." Yuan Shikai glanced at Chen Xiao, "Er'an, copy the telegram to Yinchang to the War Department." ”

Chen Xiao agreed and went out.

Feng Guozhang breathed a sigh of relief. Yuan Shikai was worried that the commander would not move Yinchang, so he asked the end party to give Yinchang a push. He suddenly remembered the scene when he first met Ye Yanbing in Zhangde three years ago, and he remembered the young general with a handsome face like a beautiful woman. At that time, Ye Yanbing was just a standard commander under Zhou Yi, and he was not a first-class figure in the Mengshan Army. But his status is transcendent, because he is Long Qian's brother-in-law, he is naturally respected. Now that he is the commander of a division with 30,000 horses, Long Qian handed over most of Shandong's troops to this person, which shows his trust. And Ye Yanbing did not live up to the trust, and stubbornly withstood the onslaught of the three towns in Lao Yuan's hands......

Feng Guozhang then thought of Zhou Yi. The news of the Mengshan Army's mutiny in Guangxi was known to the high-level officials of Beiyang, and Zhou Yi's life and death were unknown. may have been secretly executed by Long Qian. once imagined that the Guangxi mutiny, and the killing of Zhou Yi and Feng Lun would shake the hearts of the Shandong army, and it seemed that hope was disappointed......

"What about our side?" Yuan Shikai asked in a deep voice, interrupting Feng Guozhang's contemplation.

"It's still going to be a fight, but it's going to be more leisurely." Feng Guozhang said in a low voice.

On August 15, the forward command post of the Southern Army was officially stationed in Hengyang.

The forward brigade of the Fengguozhu Division had arrived at Changsha City and returned to Longtang, and the second echelon division headquarters led the second brigade to Zhuzhou after a forced march under Long Qian's strict order, which relieved Long Qian's concern about the lone in-depth army of the first brigade. According to the report of the enemy, Changsha City has been placed under martial law, but there is no news that the eighth town has moved south to Changsha. If the eighth town doesn't come up. Changsha is already in the pocket of the Southern Army.

Han Ziying's Fourth Brigade, the forward brigade of the Second Division, which came from Guangxi, had already passed through Qiyang, and it was only a little more than a day's journey from Hengyang, and its strength was sufficient. Long Qian no longer urged the last brigade of the First Division, the Third Brigade in the direction of Liling on the Eastern Front, to advance at a faster pace. Because the First Division had been harassed by the local patrol battalion or militia when it marched from Chenzhou to Hengyang, Long Qian was deeply worried about the strong folk customs in Hunan. There seems to be a sense of hostility and resistance to the Mengshan army. On the one hand, Long Qian asked the Political Department to strengthen propaganda. On the one hand, the 2nd Brigade Guards Regiment slowed down and protected a large number of baggage without any mistakes. When Han Ziying's Fourth Brigade caught up, Long Qian planned to temporarily put it under the command of the First Division. to augment the forces of the front-line attack.

According to the reports of various departments, since the Southern Army launched the Northern Expedition, the combat losses have been extremely slight, except for the First Brigade in Hengyang, which fought a tough battle, losing (including wounded) more than 300 people, and the combat attrition of the rest of the units can be ignored.

Wang Mingyuan's Third Division was successfully organized and reorganized, and the Seventh Brigade had already completed its assembly in Shaoguan, and the telegram indicated that it could be ordered to go north at any time. Considering the situation in Guangdong and many problems in the training of troops, Long Qian sent a telegram back to Wang Mingyuan, ordering him to assemble the Seventh Brigade in the Shaoguan area for training and standby. The Eighth Brigade, which is being formed, is stationed in the vicinity of Guangzhou to ensure the safety of the rear and actively raise grain and ammunition for the front line.

The headquarters of the 2nd Division and the 5th Brigade were still in the area of Guilin, and after defeating the resistance of Lu Rongting's department, Lan Xinzhi commanded the 5th Brigade and the troops directly under the division headquarters to march separately to destroy or disintegrate the Qing army in Guangxi, and the main opponent was no longer Lu Rongting, but the Long Jiguang brothers.

Now try to take care of the back road as steadily as possible, Long Qian instructed Lan Xinzhi not to rush north, and to draw Guangxi as much as possible, which is also a war achievement.

Since the Northern Expedition, the generals of the Southern Army have shown signs of contribution, and generals like Wang Mingyuan who are willing to guard the rear with the overall situation in mind are especially valuable.

The battle situation in the south is going smoothly according to Long Qian's plan. The news from outside the pass made Long Qian excited, especially the Fengtian incident Zhang Zuolin's uprising made Long Qian happy, the twenty towns were solved, and the Lushan Department would go straight to Shanhaiguan, and the northern war situation was already victorious and undefeated. After the headquarters of the Mengshan Army learned of the Fengtian Incident, it immediately gave Zhang Zuolin the number of the 21st Division and telegraphed the whole country, Long Qian did not expect this empty 21st Division, but with this army, the Lushan Department could fully devote itself to the attack on Zhili, which would greatly relieve the pressure on Ning Shijun. Therefore, when the news of the Fengtian Incident came, Long Qian made an exception and drank bitterly, and said to Situ Jun and other officers of the headquarters, I will rest assured now.

Long Qian was still not at ease, not worried about the upcoming collision with the eighth town, but concerned about Shandong. Since the Battle of Texas started on August 10, Long Qian inquired about the battle situation several times a day, and his heart was extremely anxious. Especially after the operation of the first town was confirmed and Zhang Xun's thirteenth mixed association began to attack Yizhou, Long Qian even raised his heart to his throat.

The Shandong army is carrying four towns in Beiyang on its shoulders, plus a mixed association! Almost provoked more than half of the burden of this war!

But they only have the strength of two divisions and a total of fifteen infantry regiments in their hands!

"Shi Jun and Yan Bing played very well! Commander, they have done a great job! "Situ Jun, the chief of the general staff who is also highly concerned about the battle situation in Shandong, analyzes and studies the situation of the battle of Dezhou on the map and calls from Shandong every day, and calculates the loss of strength on both sides, "Commander, Ye Yanbing dragged Yuan Shikai's main force, and after several days of bloody battles, except for paying more than 8,000 casualties, Yuan Shikai gained almost nothing!" This barbed wire fence is such a good thing, I didn't expect this thing to work so well. ”

The barbed wire fence that came in handy the next day of the Battle of Texas blocked the second town, causing the pure blood of Lee, who was eager for revenge, to stain the canal and streak corpses all over the field. Analyzing the battle reports of the 17th Brigade and the 6th Division, the second town, which barely crossed the canal, almost lost its attack power.

"Hehe," Long Qian smiled. Of course, he knew the power of barbed wire. It was such an inconspicuous thing, but it was a headache for the European powers a few years later.

Will there be a big war in Europe in a few years? Long Qian was seriously suspicious, because everything had changed.

"Commander Ning said that the Germans greatly admired the Sixth Division, and it seems that the Germans have attached great importance to the experience of our army's stubborn defense in Texas." On August 13, Shandong called the German army in Qingdao and asked to send an observation group to Texas to watch the battle, and Long Qian immediately replied and agreed. When the war broke out, the only people who expressed support for Long Qian's seizure of national power were the Germans, of course, not an official statement by the government. Rather, it is conveyed below. Presently. A large proportion of the ammunition of the Southern Army came from the Rite and Foreign Companies, and it was in the form of credit, which was not easy.

"Hehe," Long Qian smiled again. "It's up to Wu Nian now. If Wu Nian defeats the First Town. We have won this war! ”

The plan submitted by the Shandong army to lure the enemy into a deep battle of annihilation was approved by Long Qian. Situ Jun, who has a high military literacy, certainly knows that this is the right response. But in a state of stalemate in Texas, if Wu Nian can't stay in the first town, the situation will collapse! Other than that. Let the first town go deep into Lubei, whether it will bring variables to the war situation in Texas, Situ Jun can't say. However, Long Qian showed the composure and determination of the commander of the army, and only half an hour later he replied and agreed to the battle plan of the Shandong army.

"At the end of this battle, the Shandong Army should be the first main force of our army! No wonder Feng Guozhu was in a hurry to seize Changsha. Situ Jun said with a smile.

"Taking Changsha will shake the whole country again. It's also a realistic support for Shandong, so we still have to speed up. Long Qian is concerned about the situation in the whole country, since the "survey telegram" was issued, except for Shandong and Jilin, so far no province has expressed its opposition to the Qing Dynasty to stand in the camp of the Mengshan Army, this result, Long Qian is a little depressed, he can't tell what the problem is, is the Manchu Qing still so cohesive?

On August 15, the Battle of Texas entered its sixth day, and apart from sporadic artillery bombardment, the duel between the infantry was temporarily suspended. The Beiyang Army of the Three Towns, which broke through the two blocking lines of the Sixth Division, was still unable to make a decisive breakthrough, and the city of Dezhou was already in sight, but it could not break through the layers of trench lines of the Sixth Division. The third town, which had paid nearly 6,000 casualties in five days, had actually dried up its blood, and Cao Kun really couldn't move. Li Chun's second town on Cao Kun's southern flank was still blocked by the second line of attack, and the fourth town, which had won a great victory on the 14th, seemed to have lost the momentum of the attack, and the two towns each paid more than 4,000 casualties, but could not break through the opponent's most rear-end defenses.

After five days of bloody battles, the three main towns that Yuan Shikai had high hopes for were crippled by Ye Yanbing's Sixth Division!

Yuan Shikai only pinned his hopes on breaking into the first town of Wuding Mansion in Shandong from Yangxin. In the battle on the 14th, the eastern front of the Shandong Army relied on the reinforcement of an urgently transferred reserve and a decisive counterattack to block Feng Guozhang, which proved to be a vital force and was a key factor in the battle on the 14th. While Yuan Shikai was heartbroken and the victory was lost in an instant, he was also glad that the opponent had finally transferred the last division to the meat grinder in Texas.

In this way, the front line of Wuding will be open.

Now it's time for First Town! This unit, which was not valued by Beiyang, was now led by Yin Chang himself, and became the key force that decided the battle of Shandong. The reason why Yinchang was invited out of Yinchang was because the troops of the first town concentrated almost all the Manchu troops, and they should be led by the Manchus.

The reason why Yuan Shikai temporarily changed the plan in Hengshui and changed the general reserve that was scheduled to be used in Dezhou in another direction was not only Wang Shizhen's suggestion, but also Yinchang's proposition. Wang Shizhen believed that the land of Dezhou did not need the investment of troops from the four towns at all, while Yinchang considered strategically that once Dezhou attracted all the main forces of the Shandong Army, the defense of other places would naturally be empty. At this time, the first town will play a decisive role, at least to shake the will of the defenders. Yuan Shikai knew that Dao Yinchang was anxious to make contributions, so he changed his original plan, changed the direction of the march towards the first town assembled in Dezhou, and changed to Cangzhou. This information was not obtained by Duan Yongqing - he went outside the gate. But it was noticed by the Shandong Army - the first line of Texas only exposed the numbers of the three towns in Beiyang, where is the fourth? The cautious Ning Shijun pinched the incomplete Seventh Division in his hands and did not allow the Seventh Division to throw itself into Texas. This was of course based on the premise that the Sixth Division withstood the onslaught of the Beiyang Attack.

It wasn't until Jiang Yun obtained the accurate attack plan of the first town from another channel that Ning Shijun breathed a sigh of relief. Well, Lao Tzu still has a complete four regiments (three infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment) in his hands, so let's play.

On the evening of August 15, the first town occupied the key point of Yangxin. Yuan Shikai sent an urgent telegram and ordered him to cross the Nanjunpan River to attack Huimin, and then rush across the Shahe River to Jiyang to attack. If Jiyang is captured before the 17th, Jinan will be shaken, and the main force of the Shandong Army in Dezhou should think about how to break through. (To be continued......)