After a typhoon, the air is exceptionally fresh. In the distance, the blue waves of the Pearl River estuary are rippling, and you can't see the white sails. The foreigners still blockaded the Lingding Ocean, and naturally there were no ships at the mouth of the Pearl River. Deng Zixuan stood on the Humen Fort and raised his eyes to look out, the expression on his face was very solemn. "Zixuan, I haven't come out to enjoy the scenery for a long time, it's rare that you are in a happy mood, but after you came out, you have been thinking about the problem, but you have fewer and fewer words." Wan'er said with concern.

On today's trip, Wan'er deliberately wore a white cheongsam, white half-heeled leather shoes, a white sunhat on her head, and a white umbrella in her hand. The whole body is white, looking fresh and graceful, ice and jade. Wan'er is a little blessed, but it is just right, still touching and exuding the beauty of a mature woman. Deng Zixuan retracted his gaze, turned his head to stare at Wan'er and said apologetically: "Originally, I came out to relax, but I couldn't extricate myself, and there was no way, probably incorrigible." ”

Deng Zixuan's eyes were slightly dark, but he was in good spirits. "Zixuan, you said that life and work are not wrong, that is, you can live and work, so that you can enjoy the fun of life, but I found that you are like a clock, always tightening the clockwork, I am really worried about your body." Wan'er said angrily. "Wan'er, the past is not the same as today. You must know that the safety of the officers and men of the whole army is now on my shoulders, the safety of the people of Lebanon is on my shoulders, and even the safety of the Chinese nation is on my shoulders. Therefore, every step must be very small and carefully calculated, and a happy life is far away from me. ”

"I understand your feelings, but I'm worried that you're too tired and what's wrong with your body?" Wan'er said worriedly. "My body is great, you don't have to worry. Wan'er, I don't want you to increase your psychological burden on military affairs, you should be happy. Look at the clear water and blue sky through the Pearl River estuary, is it also open-minded, and I feel that there is an indescribable artistic conception. Deng Zixuan changed the subject.

"It's this feeling, it seems ethereal and mysterious," Wan'er echoed. At this time, a guard hurriedly came and said, "Commander-in-chief, Kuang Jiazhi has arrived in Guangzhou." I heard that you were in the Humen Fort, so I followed the trail. "Brother Kuang is here, great, let him come over!" Humen Fort is a military restricted area, and idlers are not allowed to enter, so the surroundings are very quiet. "Zixuan, can you pinch and calculate, let me prepare wine and eat is exactly what I mean, now I have a drinking friend." Wan'er smiled.

"This is called intentionally planting flowers and flowers, unintentionally planting willows and willows, Kuang Jiazhi arrived in Guangzhou like divine help, today's picnic must be poetic!" After Deng Zixuan finished speaking, he saw Kwong Jiazhi and a graceful and luxurious lady coming over, and guessed that the woman must be Kwong Jiazhi's wife. "Commander-in-chief, he came here by order, this is an insider." Kwong Jiazhi greeted him. Deng Zixuan nodded to Mrs. Kwong in return, and then introduced Wan'er. Wan'er stepped forward and took Mrs. Kwong's hand and asked for warmth, not like a stranger, like an old friend.

"Brother Kuang, why are you so serious. If you come from afar, you will naturally do your best to catch the wind and wash the dust with the friendship of the landlord. But today there is no big meal, just small dishes, but there is good wine. Deng Zixuan teased. Commander-in-Chief, it is an honor to have a drink with you, and it is also the creation of the lowly position. No delicacies from the mountains and the sea can express my feelings at the moment," Kwong Jiazhi said worriedly. Deng Zixuan shook his head and led Kuang Jiazhi to sit down at the stone table. Wan'er took out the wine and food from her bag, put them on the table and said, "Zixuan, Brother Kuang, you talk, I'll take my sister to eat rice noodles." ”

Deng Zixuan opened Moutai, and a smell of wine entered his heart. After two glasses of wine, Kuang Jiazhi's restraint was swept away and he said: "Commander-in-chief, ask me to bring my wife to Guangzhou, is there a new job?" Deng Zixuan's expression became serious and said, "Brother Kuang, there is no way. I know you're just stable in Huguang. However, if we take the great northwest, we must also consolidate the great northwest and build the great northwest. After consulting with Zhang Zhidong, I decided to make you the chief executive of the Great Northwest. ”

"Commander-in-Chief, Humble Command!" "We annihilated 50,000 Russian troops in Xi'an, and the northwest was successfully occupied. This battle may have angered the Tsar. If nothing else, Russia will go all out into the war and will be ambitious to seek greater benefits. Out of greed for land, Russia chose Xinjiang and Outer Mongolia. Judging from the current situation, the countries of the West are more united, the war will be protracted, and we may encounter difficulties in the northwest. "The Commander-in-Chief's intention is to stabilize the Northwest and prepare for a protracted campaign!"

Deng Zixuan said: "If the Russian army enters the Mongolian steppe and goes south to harass and fight, we will encounter great trouble. Therefore, we had to form a large buffer zone in the north, which would delay our attack on the Central Plains, so I had to send a capable cadre to the northwest to take up the town. Within a few years, a wartime economy had to be implemented south of the Qinling Mountains. How to implement the New Deal and adopt the wartime economy, you are already familiar with the road, so I don't need to say more. “

Kuang Jiazhi said: "Commander-in-chief, please rest assured that I will do my best. Deng Zixuan said: "Western countries don't look at the developed economy and industry, but they are far away from the land to fight. Although Russia borders us, the center of its national power is in the European part, which is also far away from us. Now the area we have conquered has a population of more than 200 million, and our human resources are the biggest dividend, and the combined powers are not as large as us, which is our greatest advantage. ”

Deng Zixuan continued: "Another advantage we have is that we are fighting on our own soil, and we have the right time, place and people. Comparatively speaking, our superiority with the great powers cancels each other out, and it is up to us to see who lasts longer. For the sake of long-term planning, I am not afraid of a protracted war, and I want to drag down the great powers and disintegrate their alliances. Modern warfare is about logistics, and I don't want to build up a few million troops, but we can't do it under the current conditions, so we can only grow gradually in the war. Judging from the overall situation, we have the initiative in the war in the continental strategy, and this is our greatest advantage. ”

Kuang Jiazhi was worried: "Commander-in-chief, what will we do if the foreigners invest millions of troops? Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Britain, France, and Germany combined, can do it with a million troops, and Russia can also invest a million troops to fight." I have made preliminary calculations that Western countries can dispatch more than 2 million troops at most, and now including Japan, it can probably reach 2.5 million troops. You don't have to worry, I'll give you an analysis. ”

Deng Zixuan continued: "Britain, there are a large number of colonies overseas, and he wants to maintain colonial rule and maintain a large number of troops in the colonies. In addition, Britain has to maintain a large fleet, so the limit is that Britain can invest 200,000 army troops. The limit in France is about 300,000. Germany is the biggest variable, Germany is currently in the process of industrialization, it is impossible to invest all its energy, Germany can invest 100,000 troops is the limit. Although serfdom was abolished in Russia, its system did not disappear completely, so Russia's ability to mobilize for war cannot be ignored. I judge that Russia can devote a maximum of 1 million troops. If we assume that Japan invests 500,000 troops, then a rough calculation is about 2.1 million, not including the strength of the navies of various countries. ”

"Stumped Americans won't send troops?" Kwong Jiazhi was confused. "It's impossible for Americans to send troops because the United States is a nation of immigrants. If it does not involve its own safety, the United States will never send troops, but it will pay. Therefore, I judge that the maximum number of troops that Western countries can put into their armies should be 2 million troops. At present, we have about 700,000 field troops, and 500,000 logistics troops, including security forces. I intend to expand the army by another 300,000 troops, bringing the total number of troops to 1.5 million. ”

"Commander-in-Chief, is 1.5 million troops too little?" Kwong Ka Chi entered into fixed thinking. Deng Zixuan said confidently: "As I said earlier, the right time, place and people are on my side. It is impossible for Western countries to put all their troops into it at once, and it can be said that the huge logistical supply to the Qing court cannot be satisfied at all. Therefore, foreigners can only be oil-filling tactics, and oil-filling tactics are taboo for soldiers. ”

"Commander-in-chief, your careful analysis, my confidence is even stronger!" Kwong Jiazhi was relieved, after all, he was a civilian official and did not know much about the military situation. Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Brother Kuang, you have a lot of experience in promulgating the new policy and how to implement the new economic model. But I'll say a few more words. "Commander-in-chief, listening to your teachings, I am looking forward to it day and night, and every time it is like a baptism."

Deng Zixuan said: "It is dozens of times more difficult to stabilize and build the Great Northwest in the war than for us to win one or two military battles. How to make the people's minds settle and how to meet the supply of the army is the most important thing. I demand that within a year, the Ordnance Industry Administration should build a bullet factory and an artillery shell factory in Xi'an to replenish the nearest one, so as to alleviate the bottleneck of our long-distance transportation. It may be difficult for you to imagine how much hard work we have to pay and how much manpower and material resources we have to mobilize to transport a shell from Guangzhou to Xi'an, so you have to assist the Ordnance Industry Bureau to meet the supply of raw materials for the arsenal. ”

"Baoji produces copper, has small iron ore mines and smelting workshops. You have to integrate quickly and meet the needs of the arsenal first. "Commander-in-Chief, I see." "Hanzhong is a traditional grain-producing area, with abundant rainfall and mild climate, and is the main rice-producing area. You have to quickly promote the seedlings in the glass greenhouse, so that the rice yield can be increased on a large scale. In addition, the land on both sides of the Wei River is fertile, but wheat is basically cultivated. The yield of wheat is too low, so it is necessary to promote rice cultivation ・・・・・・ in glass greenhouses and promote rice cultivation on both sides of the Wei River. ”

A few days later, Kwong Ka-chi was on the road with a large convoy of transports. The convoy was loaded not only with military supplies such as weapons and ammunition. In addition, there are engineers and jishu workers dispatched by the Ordnance Industry Administration, as well as 4 small steam engines. Before leaving, Deng Zixuan transferred 10 officials from Tongren University to him in Guangzhou, with the aim of making Kuang Jiazhi's implementation of the new policy in the northwest go smoothly.

The convoy arrived in Nanning, and Li Tong, the governor of Guangxi, warmly entertained the old friend. At the banquet, Li Tong said: "Brother Kuang, this trip to the northwest has a long way to go, and it is also a good opportunity to show off your ambitions. Brother envy, I wish Brother Kuang success. Kuang Jiazhi smiled bitterly: "The west is a barren land, and the people are fierce. Especially in times of war, I was really worried about disappointing the high expectations of the commander-in-chief. ”

"The commander-in-chief has given you a face-to-face lecture, what is there to worry about. One is the armament industry, the other is grain, and if you grasp these two things, your situation will be opened. Li Tong was very accurate. However, when Kwong Jiazhi arrived in Xi'an a month later, he encountered an unimaginable crisis. At that time, due to the Russian cavalry that entered the Mongolian steppe, they fled a large number of refugees in a large number of southward harassment battles, which really tested Kuang Jiazhi's level of governance.

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