The habit of greeting foreigners was started in the Qing Dynasty after the Gengzi Incident, and the Qing Dynasty was the kingdom of the Celestial Empire in the past, not to mention paying New Year's greetings to foreigners, it was difficult for foreigners to see them and talk about something. This year is Yuan Shikai's first year in power, and although he has not yet taken the position of president for various reasons, as the most promising person in China, foreigners really want to know whether Yuan Shikai is willing to accept some unwritten rules formed between them and the Manchus.

Lao Yuan took the initiative to give himself a New Year's greeting, which is a very friendly signal, at least in Sa Daoyi's opinion.

Sa Daoyi didn't let the secretary report, he walked to the door and picked up Yuan Shikai closely, although he was not in a good mood, he also showed a slight smile on his face: "Old friend, I was planning to go to your house, but I didn't expect you to be one step faster than me." ”

Lao Yuan walked in with Sa Daoyi: "Hehe, Mr. Sa Daoyi is really polite." According to our Chinese rules, I should come to you to greet the New Year, thank you for all the efforts you have made in these years for the friendly relations between China and the United Kingdom, and hope that our cooperation will be more pleasant in the future. ”

Words on the scene. After finishing speaking, Yuan Shikai waved his hand, and the entourage behind him immediately brought over a box, which contained some simple gifts. A jar of Shaoxing old wine, two catties of high-quality tea, candy, snacks, and eight colors of fabrics.

Sa Daoyi knew that these were traditional Chinese New Year's gifts, so he quickly asked the secretary to accept them. He had also been in China for many years, and immediately beckoned Yuan Shikai to sit down in the living room according to the rules, and there was a four-color fruit plate on the table.

Lao Yuan sat down on the sofa: "Sir, I plan to have a banquet for you ministers tonight, so that we can get along happily in the new year, how about we get together?" Moreover, Mr. Yue Ressar is about to leave Beijing, so we can take the opportunity of today to send him off and the new Russian minister to pick up the wind, do you have time? ”

Sa Daoyi hurriedly said: "Of course! I will definitely go. That's right. What is the name of the new minister of the Russians? I can't remember this moment. ”

"Lannico. He was a young man who used to work as a clerk in Beijing and later went to the Northeast. ”

Sadaoyi sighed, "Yes, Lannico. I think that your and Russia's problems about Mongolia will probably eventually be solved through this young man. Old friend, to be honest you should be tough, otherwise I don't think the Russians will make diplomatic concessions to you. ”

Yuan Shikai exhaled: "Xiexie, I've already made a decision, tonight I'll take a look at the tone of the Russians to see what the attitude of this new minister is." If the Russian side is still reluctant to make a statement, I will take certain actions. ”

London had already given clear instructions to Sadao on the question of Mongolia. That is, Britain is definitely not on the opposite side of Russia. But if the Chinese and the Russians clashed, the British government would support Yuan Shikai, at least behind the scenes.

"Well, I'm willing to give you proper help in this matter. Old friend, can you give me some help on the issue of western Liaoning? ”

What Lao Yuan is most afraid of is talking to foreigners like Sa Daoyi about the Northeast issue! So after hearing this, the whole nerve immediately collapsed: "Is this a quid pro quo?" ”

Sa Daoyi hurriedly said, "No, you misunderstood. This is just one of my requests, Mongolia is Mongolia, and the Northeast is the Northeast. I won't mix it up. ”

Lao Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, Lei Zhenchun had already gone to Mongolia to find Zaitao, and Yuan Shikai wanted Zaitao to accept his leadership, that is. Let Zaitao recognize his Beiyang government.

Lao Yuan's condition for Zaitao was that as long as Lord Belle admitted himself, the salaries and materials of the anti-independence resistance army could be provided by the Beiyang Army in the future, and if Lord Baylor couldn't hold on, he could come to Beijing at any time.

I won't mention the previous congressman. It was a position to fool people, and now Lao Yuan told Zaitao that as long as he agreed. Whether to be a feudal official or an important member of the capital, he chooses! Lao Yuan thought very clearly, he had to let the people know that Zaitao was fighting for the Beiyang government and belonged to the leadership of the Beiyang Army.

This attitude will definitely clash with the Russians. Conflict is conflict, judging from the current situation, it is not possible to do without conflict, and it is not a bad thing to shoot the people twice to hear that they are really defending Mongolia.

Yuan Shikai hoped that the British could help him control this conflict within a certain range, he was so wealthy that he didn't dare to fight with people at every turn like Yang Dagui.

If Sa Daoyi had to tie Mongolia and the Northeast together, Yuan Shikai would be a little embarrassed. Fortunately, the British are good friends.

"Mr. Sadaoyi, the affairs of the Northeast are really beyond my power now! The fighting in the south has not yet subsided, and here in Mongolia I must react, and if I provoke that beast, I am afraid of enemies on all sides. After all, the Japanese are not controlling that guy now, are they? ”

Sa Daoyi glanced at Yuan Shikai and didn't say anything more: "Okay, I understand your situation. Are you planning to visit the Japanese Embassy in the near future? ”

Yuan Shikai nodded, but Sa Daoyi showed a playful smile: "Then you'd better be careful when you speak, now the mood of the people in their entire embassy is not very good, yesterday, that guy from Abu Shoutaro smashed my vase here with me." ”

The mood of the Japanese, of course, was not good, and the entire Japanese Second Army was already in a desperate situation.

Yang Xiaolin looked at his watch when he got up from the bed, he actually slept for thirteen hours this night!

Turning over and getting out of bed, Commander Yang hurriedly put on his clothes and pushed open the wooden door, and found Cai Yi, Kong Grounding, Feng Delin and others in the room outside. Many people went in and out, but they deliberately slowed down their pace, and even spoke very softly, which was obviously the main reason why they were able to fall asleep.

While buttoning his button, he walked to the edge of the battle map: "I said that I only slept for three hours, and weishenme didn't wake me up?" ”

Feng Delin smiled and said: "The attack hasn't started yet, a few of us have dealt with it, I want you to sleep a little longer, I haven't closed my eyes for two days, where can I do it for three hours?" ”

Yang Xiaolin didn't say anything anymore, and leaned on the map: "What's the situation now?" ”

Cai Yi's finger was on the position of Yang Jiadatun: "We have carried out two tentative charges, and the combat capability of the Fourth Division is obviously inferior to that of the Third Division, and after a few days of fighting, the loss of their materials and personnel is also quite serious. After we broke a gap, there was no way to fight back! It is believed that we will be able to annihilate them in forty-eight hours, but the problem now is that the 6th Division is showing signs of fleeing the battlefield. ”

Yang Xiaolin's brows furrowed, if the Sixth Division escaped, then Matsumura still had a certain combat ability, at least he could choose to wait for reinforcements in Dalian. In that case, he would only be able to inflict heavy losses on the Japanese Second Army, but not completely annihilate them.

The battle has been fought so far, and it can be said that the volunteers fought very beautifully, from the military deployment to the battle of the front-line soldiers, they did not leave the Japanese with any chance. Such a good game of chess, if the results are limited to heavy losses to the Second Army. Commander Yang felt a faint unwillingness.

"What about Li Debiao?"

"The Japanese have been attacking very fiercely in the past few days, and the casualties of the third division are very large, and they are okay to hold their positions, but it is a bit far-fetched to pursue the enemy."

Yang Xiaolin didn't say anything when he heard it, and his fingers habitually tapped on the tabletop. Cai Ye said: "Commander, the Japanese Third Army has arrived in Dandong, and there is not much time left for us. ”

Nogi Noshinori arrived in Dandong? This speed really surprised Commander Yang a little. These guys must be on a forced march, and at this rate, even if they set up their own blocking front. The Third Army will also be here in five days.

It will take two days to kill the 4th Division by yourself, and if you want to fight the 6th Division, it will take at least three days. They may have more time if they run to chase themselves. In case the Third Army came while he was fighting the division of the Sixth Division. That's a big problem.

But after letting him kill the Fourth Division, he turned around and left, Commander Yang was really unwilling.

"Songpo, I don't want to let go of the Sixth Division, fight hard! What do you think? ”

Cai Ye has also been entangled in this problem. When Yang Xiaolin asked him, he expressed his opinion: "It's dangerous, but if we are willing to pay the price, killing the Sixth Division will be tantamount to crippling Matsumura Wuben." The Japanese Second Army will lose its combat capability, and even if they send reinforcements again, it will not be possible for them to choose to land on the Liaoxi Peninsula, which will be of great benefit to our future operations! ”

Yang Xiaolin snorted, took out a cigarette and lit it, and took a sharp breath: "The price? Lao Tzu has always considered this, as long as I can knock the enemy down, I don't care how much blood I shed! Order Li Debiao to immediately launch a diversionary attack on the 6th Division! I don't care how many casualties he has, I want him to leave the Sixth Division behind me!" ”

"Also, how are the Sixth and Seventh Divisions resting?"

Cai Yi shook his head: "They suffered too many casualties in the battle of Suzigou, and both divisions have lost nearly half of their soldiers, and they have not been replenished. ”

"Order, the 6th Division and the 7th Division will be temporarily merged, numbered as the first column of the Volunteer Army, with Liu Xianhe as the commander of the column, and immediately enter the battle and block the 6th Division for me! When we attack the Yang family's Datun, we can't let them escape! ”

Cai Yi nodded, and when he was about to send the report, a confidential officer came over with a telegram: "Report to the commander, Director Chen is in a hurry!" ”

Yang Xiaolin took it and looked at it, his whole face quickly began to twitch, and then he smashed his fist on the table, his face was pale and he didn't say a word.

Feng Delin gently pulled out the telegram from Yang Xiaolin's hand, sighed after reading it, and then handed it to Jin Dadao. The expressions of everyone who read this telegram immediately changed, and Chen Tianhua only said one thing in the telegram, the Russians had killed people in Xinbin.

Lao Maozi's temperament, Yang Xiaolin, knew very well that the county town did not plan to get it back intact if it was lost to them, and even said that it was normal for them to kill a few people. But this time it was different, they killed children! There are more than 200 children in Xinbin Primary School!

Chen Tianhua has done a very good job of transferring the children under the leadership of the teacher, but after the Russians occupied Xinbin, there were no radical actions, which gave some people a little illusion.

After negotiations with several Russian businessmen in Xinbin, Lao Maozi promised that as long as the people came back, they would not pursue anything, and the people of Xinbin began to descend one after another under the persuasion of the city, and the Russians really did nothing.

But just yesterday, when a couple of drunken Russian GIs were walking down the street when they were suddenly attacked by slingshots, they saw that it was a few children who were attacking them, and immediately began to return fire with rifles, killing two of them on the spot.

The matter is not over here, those children were frightened and turned around and ran, and the Russians actually followed behind and pursued all the way! After chasing the school, the teacher hurried out to negotiate with the Russians, but the gang blocked the school gate and went on a killing spree.

More than 200 children! The oldest is fifteen years old, and the youngest is only seven years old! Not a single one came out!

The Russian side has already explained this, Lao Maozi said that they were attacked by armed men, and they shot in self-defense! They even took a picture showing a wound on the head of a Russian soldier with a stone!

Yang Xiaolin's heartache! His hands were clenched into fists, and the green tendons on his forehead could be seen clearly! (To be continued......)