In the autumn of the third year of Guangxing, the cold air of the Mongolian Plateau fell very early, and just after September, the cold rain continued to fall, forcing people to wrap themselves in thick coats, but it could not prevent people from continuing to bustle on the streets of Beijing, and the official streets where the dignitaries of the empire gathered were also busy as usual.

In the Cabinet Chamber, located in a small French-style building next to the Prime Minister's Office, a fierce quarrel echoed in the marble-paneled room, between Vice-Minister of Defense Ho Sin and Minister of Culture and Education Tan Si Tong, who attended the regular cabinet meeting on behalf of Defense Minister Jang Zhi-dong.

“…… In the past few years, military expenditures have soared, and the finances have long been overwhelmed, and now the military is trying to embezzle education funds to purchase and add ordnance to the Praetorian Guard. Moreover, the military should not interfere in political affairs, but for many years it has continued to make unwarranted demands outside the budget and extort funds, and this time it has even been involved in the specific allocation of budget funds, which is really hateful. ”

Tan Sitong was violent, and He Xin did not show weakness, pressing the table word by word: "Now Russia threatens our entire northern border defense, Chen soldiers are hundreds of thousands on the border, its Pacific Fleet is constantly adding ironclad ships, its military police are frantically persecuting Chinese in our occupied territory north of Heilongjiang, and its Cossack cavalry has repeatedly violated the border cards of Xinjiang and Mongolia, the situation is about to erupt, and it is not an exaggeration for the military to ask for additional funds outside the budget out of consideration for war. As for the specific allocation of funds for the military's interference, it is that the budget itself is too rigid and lacks funds for mobility, and the military has only put forward its opinions, so how can it be so easy to come to a conclusion, saying that it is the military interfering in politics, and saying that I am defending the military, is even more nonsense; as the deputy minister of national defense, I naturally have to explain the attitude of the military clearly, so that I can be regarded as fulfilling my duty. ”

Tan Sitong said disapprerovingly: "What Chen soldiers are hundreds of thousands, it is all the words of the General Staff Family, the center of gravity of the Russians is in Europe, and the main military forces are deployed in Eastern Europe to fight against Germany, Austria, and Turkey, and it is impossible to transfer too many troops to the Far East!" A gang of conspirators of the General Staff Department are exaggerating the seriousness of the threat from the north day and night in order to interfere in national affairs and to forcibly divert funds to expand and equip the Janissaries, which cannot be directly controlled by the government. ”

Minister of Health Sun Wen immediately got involved: "Mr. Zhuang Fei is right, if the military is allowed to mess around like this, sooner or later the national body will be lost!" Although the threat of the great powers is great, it is not imminent, and the country's finances are usually accounted for by about 40% of military spending, but they have to be continuously added, resulting in a shortage of funds for education, health and other projects related to the national economy and people's livelihood, and only focus on the construction of the Praetorian Guard, which cannot be reassuring, I hope Premier Wen can make a decision as soon as possible! ”

Minister of Justice Kang Youwei interjected with a straight face: "Duke Wuwei is too arrogant, ignorant of the state system of government, intolerable to the Constitution, disloyal to the empire, and unfavorable to the people. ”

Wen Yitie's face was blue, the last thing he wanted to see happened, in the presence of other party cabinet members, Tan Sitong put sensitive issues on the table, so that foreign party cabinet members took the opportunity to stir up, so that they could not get off the stage - to restrain Liu Yun by himself is equivalent to letting a naked weak scholar deal with a sharp tiger, and there is a large group of vicious wolves and hyenas next to the tiger.

"Don't quarrel," Wen Yi said, his voice was very calm, he couldn't show his helplessness in front of the cabinet members, "Now it seems that the accusations against the military are concentrated in the General Staff, originally because the legislation is not perfect, and the relationship between the General Participation in the Cabinet has not been clarified, and it is necessary to solve the problem through legislative means rather than administrative means, everyone's mood is understandable, but the accusations against Wu Weigong can be discussed, I hope you can focus on the overall situation, work together, for the country and the people, and create a new prosperous era." ”

"We, the Liberal Party, are willing to draft a new bill on the General Staff." Sun Wen could not wait to give play to the role of his party.

"It would be better for each of the three parties to send people with specialized knowledge to work together to draft it, and it would not be a problem when it was passed by Congress." Kang Youwei said he knew what strategy his royalist party needed to maintain its position as the second largest party in Congress.

In addition, the new bill on the Praetorian Guard must also be discussed by the three parties, and the land issue in Xinjiang will be discussed according to the schedule today, and then the new bill discussion meeting of the three parties will be held at a later date, and it must be passed smoothly as soon as possible, and at that time, there will be a law to follow, and the pressure on the military can be reduced in accordance with the procedures."

"I reserve my opinion." He Xin said that although he had great respect for the imperial prime minister, he was more worthy of his allegiance than the chief of the general staff of the imperial armed forces, so as soon as this regular meeting ended, He Xin went to the General Staff and poured the events of the meeting to Liu Yun as it was.

"Wen Yizhen said this openly at the meeting?"

"That's right, it was indeed said by Premier Wen himself, and all the cabinet members present heard it clearly."

Liu Yun knocked his index finger on the large oak desk, pondered for a few seconds, and suddenly smiled: "It doesn't matter, legislate and legislate, this is a good thing, the national system must always be constantly improved......

"But Tan Si ...... with him"

"The prejudice of literati against soldiers has existed since ancient times, and people are not afraid of shadows, I have no conspiracy heart, so why worry about the opinion of a literati. I'm not going to have any idea about you, Prime Minister Moon, who are under pressure to say something in order to consolidate the political alliance. ”

"The marshal is really kind-hearted, but I am afraid that the people around the prime minister will be prejudiced and fan the flames by the prime minister's side, I am afraid that it will be detrimental to the marshal......"

"Your Premier Moon will not be confused to the point of being biased and biased, besides, he knows that you are on my side, and he has publicly proposed a solution, which shows that he has no reservations about me, and I have the same ideals as him, and we must rely on each other to succeed, so you don't have to worry about that. As for the economic and financial issues, I don't really understand very well, and at some times I may indeed have gone too far, and in order for the economic construction to proceed normally, I can make concessions and shrink the military expansion plan, and Wenyi and I can negotiate to solve it, you just need to do your own thing. ”

He Xin nodded and said, "Yes, I will do my duty, then, the lower official will leave." ”

Liu Yun watched He Xin leave, sat down on a carved hardwood chair, held his chin with his hands in fists, and began to experience the distance between dreams and reality in meditation.

A few days later, the Reichstag passed the Act on the General Staff of the Imperial Armed Forces and the Act on the Imperial Praetorian Guard, which provided that the General Staff was under the administration of the Reich Chancellor and the Ministry of Defence; It is stipulated that the Praetorian Guard will be integrated into the system of the Ministry of National Defense, and that the Ministry of Defense shall exercise administrative management in peacetime and under the command of the General Staff in wartime. Liu Yun's reaction to these two bills that overhauled the powers of the General Staff Headquarters was to bring dozens of officers, including General Zhong Xiahuo, commander of the Praetorian Guard, and General Hu Ke, director of the Operations Division of the General Staff Department, to Heilongjiang Province to inspect the northeastern frontier.

In the military special train on the railway from Beijing to Fengtian, Zhong Xiahuo's curses were broadcast all the way: "Those birdmen, they know that the road is fighting for power and profit, why should the General Staff and the Praetorian Guard be under the control of the Ministry of National Defense!" If we want to listen to an old immortal guy like Zhang Zhidong, it's a pipe dream! We bled and sweated and fought the world, but now we are being played with in the palm of our hands by those literati who can only brag, and I can't swallow anything in this breath! Captain Liu, how can you let them do whatever they want like this! ”

"Commander Zhong, shut up, you have to call Lord Marshal, you can't always be called by the captain and captain." Hook reminded.

"Okay, Lord Marshal, you have something to say, those guys are clearly coming for you, seeing that the tiger is not powerful, he will be a sick cat, and he will and pee on his head, and it will be unreasonable if they are not treated!"

Liu Yun glared at him fiercely: "Shut up, who has pooped and peed on your head?" We shouldn't have asked about political matters in the first place, Wen Yi and they are also thinking about the overall situation, I have no opinion, what are you talking about! ”

"Yes." Zhong Xiahuo immediately accepted his voice.

"Hook, ask someone to bring the army deployment map in the northeast, I want to familiarize myself with it first."

"I'll get it myself." Hook said, getting up and going to the next car to pick up the map.

Liu Yun poured half a cup of boiled water, turned to Zhong Xiahuo and said, "Xiao Zhong, haven't you honed your temperament enough in the past few years of headquarters life?" ”

"This, temperament is innate, and it can't be changed." Zhong Xiahuo scratched the back of his head and said, his prejudice and stubbornness were among the best among all Liu Yun's subordinates.

"No matter what you do, I'm afraid I won't be able to control you in the future, you have to deal directly with the Ministry of Defense in the future, and you have to be careful in what you do. I don't know who Zhang Zhidong is, He Xin is easier to speak, but recently the cabinet people are biased against our military, and they can't give them any truth, especially since they still control public opinion, in this case, we must maintain the image of the military well, and we can't let the people also be prejudiced against us. ”

"I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my mouth shut."

"Then you will be unlucky, and no one will be able to protect you then."

Zhong Xiahuo's temper came up again: "This is too unfair, are our brothers all shedding blood for Wen Yi and them?" We are willing to fight desperately for you! It's good now, but you are a head above Wen Yi and them, and the power of the chief of the general staff has made them hollow out, you can bear this kind of humiliation, I Zhong Xiahuo can't bear it, I must ask for an explanation for you, after I go back, I will talk to Wen Yi, and I will never stop if I don't scold him for being a bloody dog! ”

"Don't you even listen to me?" Liu Yun became serious, and Zhong Xiahuo saw that the situation was not right, and immediately turned back to his honest appearance.

"I've got the map." Hook walked in and unfolded the 1/100,000 Northeast military map, and the three of them leaned over and studied it together.

“…… Before the war began, the Praetorian Guard troops must be organized into two corps, each with two Praetorian Divisions and a cavalry brigade, and they must be deployed by rail on the line from Mohe to Aihui within 15 days to carry out the key task of cutting off the connection between the enemy's interior and the coastal area. In order to cover the cutting off of the Praetorian Guards, two corps and two or three Allied divisions should be deployed on the right flank of the Janissaries, which should be responsible for annihilating the Russian troops in the coastal area and undertaking the task of attacking the fortress of Vladivostok; On the left flank, two armies and a number of separate brigades were deployed, which were responsible for blocking the support of the inland Russian army in the Primorsky area, and in coordination with the Mongol corps, the camera was moving along the line from Chita to Irkutsk. As for the formation of attack forces, they should be mainly composed of the local troops in the northeast and Zhili, in cooperation with the Mongolian cavalry troops, in addition to the two Janissary Corps, five armies should be organized, one of which should be composed of a Praetorian Guard Division, a combat reserve division, and a combat reserve cavalry brigade, as the general reserve, and the other four armies should each be composed of two standing infantry divisions or one standing infantry division plus a combat reserve division and a cavalry brigade. Interspersed with reconnaissance missions, the infantry of the Mongolian Special Military District was entrenched in the first-line fortresses of Kobdo, Uriya Sutai, Mulun and Darkhan, and if necessary, they could retreat to the second-line fortresses, but they could never put the enemy troops in the provinces south of the Mongolian Special Region. Seven armies will be put into operation in the northeast, and will be supported by an allied army, with a total strength of 16 to 17 divisions plus 10 cavalry brigades, a number of independent infantry brigades, and 500,000 to 600,000 men, in order to achieve the operational goal of recovering lost territory in one fell swoop, and then force the other side to negotiate or continue to develop the results of the war as the situation may be—these are my general plans for the future Sino-Russian war. After Liu Yun finished speaking, he raised his chin to Hu Ke and Zhong Xiahuo, motioning for them to express their opinions.

"What about the direction of Xinjiang? It is likely that the Russians invaded Xinjiang from the direction of Central Asia. Hook added.

"Xinjiang is a theater of its own, with a combination of fortress defense and mobile warfare, and before 1904 a standing infantry division, one or two infantry brigades and two cavalry brigades will be deployed, with a total of 55,000 to 64,000 men, as long as the supply is sufficient, it will be enough to resist double the number of Russian invasions."

"However, it is more difficult to supply to the front line in Xinjiang, and there is a lot of pressure just to maintain the normal activities of the troops, and if there is really a fierce battle, I am afraid that the troops will quickly run out of ammunition, and it will be difficult to replenish them in time."

"Isn't it enough to build the railroad?" Zhong Xiahuo shouted casually.

"Nonsense, if we can build the railway to Urumqi, then what do we have to worry about, we don't have enough funds." Hook assumed a posture of contempt for the ignorant.

"Let Wen Yi raise it, I won't borrow foreign debts!" Zhong Xiahuo said extremely casually.

"I want to be labeled as a soldier and a politician again, so I don't want to say useless words at this time......"

Liu Yun suddenly interrupted Hu Ke's words: "If the railway to Urumqi can be built before the start of the war, I would rather form six to eight fewer standing infantry divisions, and change the two standing Praetorian Divisions into combat reserve divisions. ”

Zhong Xiahuo shouted: "What! No, that's more than 200,000 people, and no matter how much you cut it, you can't cut the Praetorian Guard! ”

"Although the standing army is excellent, the expenditure in peacetime is too great, especially the expenditure of the Praetorian Division is three times that of the infantry division of the Wehrmacht, and the money saved after the abolition of the standing army and the Praetorian Guard can be used to develop the railway network, strengthen the mobility of the troops, increase the mobilization efficiency of the reserve forces, and especially improve the supply conditions, so that the overall combat effectiveness of the troops will be greatly enhanced. The reduction of the standing forces and the Praetorian Guard is also a general trend. ”

"It's that Wen Yi again......" Zhong Xiahuo just wanted to scold, but when he saw Liu Yun's face, he hurriedly pressed the words in his throat.

"High efficiency is enough to make up for the lack of numbers, besides, we still have a large reserve force, as long as there is enough time for mobilization, and then the organization and command are appropriate, we don't have to worry about the problem of front-line troops." Hook Road.

Liu Yun glanced at Zhong Xiahuo: "Xiao Zhong, learn more from Hu Ke when you have time, otherwise, be careful that I won't dare to use you one day." ”

"Yes, yes, I must study with an open mind." Zhong Xiahuo was tamed like a little sheep at this time.

After a tiring journey, the capital of Liaoning Province, Fengtian City, was looming behind the green platform railings, and the headquarters of General Yang Zhengjin's Northeast Military Region was located in the city.

The military and cultural officers of Liu Yun's department all know that among Liu Yun's subordinates, there were originally four people with the highest status: Ding Jieyun, Zhong Xiahuo, Yang Zhengjin and Hu Ke, who were once privately called the "Four Heavenly Kings", and now that Ding Jieyun is finished, the "Four Heavenly Kings" have been successfully changed to the "Three Giants". As for the parties themselves, they do not pay attention to the opinions of others, they think that what they have to do is extremely important, and they think that they are gods who control the fate of the world, although gods sometimes make mistakes.

On that day, General Yang Zhengjin led all the officers and officials of the Northeast Military Region Headquarters to the railway station to greet the chief of the general staff, and the military music was loud and forging ahead, the national flag and military flags were fluttering one after another, and the golden tassels on the military uniforms were brilliant and eye-catching, which really made Zhong Xiahuo and Hu Ke, who followed Liu Yun, glorify.

That night, Liu Yun set up a banquet to catch the wind, and Liu Yun tried his best to let Zhong Xiahuo and Hu Ke fight wine, but the two of them were both defeated, and they fell crooked on the banquet, Liu Yun took the opportunity to pull Yang Zhengjin out of the banquet and explained in a whisper.

“…… This time, in addition to office affairs, I have another thing to explain to you in advance. As you know, the National Assembly passed the bill on the General Staff and the Praetorian Guard, and the powers of the General Staff were much more hollow, but Premier Wen had his own explanation for this matter, and he told me that in order to enable the government and the military to communicate better, it was necessary to elevate some of the powers of the General Staff Officers, and besides, he wanted me to join the government after the 1900 general election and take up the post of Minister of Defense, at which time I would be able to better manage the army as a cabinet member. However, the position of chief of the general staff is still very crucial, and it cannot be entrusted casually, and among the many people I have brought, except for Ding Jieyun, you are the most capable, not only can handle staff affairs in an orderly manner, but also can make appropriate decisions, so I plan to recommend you to be the chief of the general staff after I become defense minister. ”

"Lord Marshal thinks so highly of me, Yang Zhengjin must do his best, and he will be ...... after death"

"Don't worry, I still have something for you to do - you have to recommend me a candidate for the commander of the Northeast Military Region."

"This," Yang Zhengjin looked a little embarrassed, "Hu Ke and Zhong Xiahuo can be candidates." ”

"Hook is suitable for menial work, but lacks leadership, Zhong Xiahuo is more than enthusiastic, not resourceful, you think about it seriously, don't consider qualifications, only start from the talents that a military commander needs."

"As far as I am familiar with, Deng Jian, the commander of the reserve army, is competent enough, he has served as the commander of the first infantry division and the commander of the first army, showing excellent management and leadership skills, and I have recorded the specific performance in the files of the combat department, and I can transfer it to you when I go back."

"You recommend it so much, I think it's almost decided, you work hard for more than two years, and come back to Beijing to take my seat, we can meet often, and we can discuss everything."

Liu Yun patted Yang Zhengjin on the shoulder as he spoke, and Yang Zhengjin was grateful in his heart, he was just a soldier and was not interested in politics, as long as he could have a good job and a good boss, he would be satisfied, which was actually the general psychology of most Liu Yun soldiers who had not been cleansed.

Grasshoppers that don't know how to know enough often can't even jump in summer.