The telegram concocted by Zhang Huizan and Cheng Ziyin circled around the governor's palace of Zhao Jingxing in Xi'an, and arrived at the telegraph room of the Yan-Jin Allied Army Headquarters in Zhengding, Zhili, late on November 21, 1911. Baidu search://

These days, Wu Luzhen, Zhang Shaozeng, and Lan Tianwei have been sending telegrams to discuss plans to attack the capital at the same time. As Wu Luzhen's assistant, He Sui stayed in the telegraph room, waiting for the latest news from the north, so that he could deliver it to the chief as soon as possible. However, the back and forth telegrams made He Sui feel annoyed. In his opinion, what is there to discuss in this? Isn't it just a very simple question: can we cooperate?

If you can cooperate, then well, formulate a battle plan, each of them will lay out the carriages and artillery, and capture the city of Beijing as soon as possible.

If you can't, then split up and go back to your own house to find your own mother.

How can there be so many twists and turns?

Now there are interceptions in front and chasing soldiers in the back, and the two roads are still hundreds of miles away from Beijing City, but they don't think about how to forge ahead, but they are here to deceive me, calculating how to divide the spoils after capturing Beijing City. It's ridiculous!

Just when He Sui was full of slander, the telegraph operator hurriedly sent a telegram: "Report to Staff Officer He, the Shaanxi Military Government has sent an urgent telegram!" ”

He Sui suddenly woke up, and when he heard the words, his heart couldn't help but move: "Shaanxi emergency electricity? Let me see! After reading the telegram, his expression changed greatly, and he hurriedly got up and went straight to Wu Luzhen's residence in Yan's backyard.

At this time, it was already more than eleven o'clock in the middle of the night, and the cold winter night in the north hit people, but the lights in Wu Luzhen's room were still bright. He Sui ignored the etiquette and pushed the door directly, but saw that the staff officer Zhang Shiying and the adjutant Zhou Weizhen were also present. Wu Luzhen saw He Sui coming in, and asked with a smile: "Xu Fu, what is the latest news?" ”

He Sui hurriedly handed over the telegram in his hand: "Commander, it's an urgent telegram from the governor of Shaanxi Zhao!" ”

Zhang Shiying's eyes lit up: "What, Zhao Xingzhi can't hold it back, and is ready to lead the troops over to insert a lever?" That's good, we're now Han Xin's soldiers, the better! ”

The house was full of Wu Luzhen's cronies, and He Sui didn't hide it: "It's not like this!" Zhao Dudu said in the telegram. They are now suffering from the enemy on both sides in Shaanxi, and their troops are seriously insufficient, so they want to transfer Cheng Ziyin's troops to help. ”

"What?" Zhang Shiying and Zhou Weizhen suddenly stood up together.

After reading the telegram, Wu Luzhen's face was dark: "What Xu Fu said is right. In the telegram, Zhao Xingzhi ordered Cheng Ziyin's troops to set off before the 25th, from Pingxing Guanxi, to the front line of Yanzhou, Shaanxi as soon as possible, to defend the Ganjun East Road attack. ”

Zhou Weizhen was indignant: "What does Zhao Jingxing mean? We now have the Praetorian Guard and the Yi Army in the north, numbering no less than 30,000; There is Yuan Shikai's Beiyang elite in the south, and the number is no less than 20,000, isn't it a two-sided enemy? Originally, we did not have an advantage in manpower or combat power. He also wants to transfer Cheng Ziyin's department, isn't this a salary draw from the bottom of the kettle and a stone? ”

He turned his face and said to Wu Luzhen: "Commander, why don't we suppress the telegram first, quickly reach an agreement with Zhang Tongzhi and Lan Xietong, and send Cheng Ziyin's troops north tomorrow?" When they and Jiang Guidi's Yijun got into fire, they started a ping-pong fight, and they didn't care about the telegrams of Zhao Dudu and Li Dudu. At that time, the troops couldn't withdraw even if they wanted to! ”

Wu Luzhen, Zhang Shiying, and He Sui all shook their heads with wry smiles.

"What, this plan doesn't work?" Zhou Weizhen hurriedly asked.

Zhang Shiying, as the chief of staff of the Yan-Jin coalition army, took the initiative to explain: "What Brother Ganchen said was originally a clever plan. However, it ignores a crucial point, that is, Cheng Ziyin's department also has a telegraph room. Needless to say, this telegram must have been sent to Cheng Ziyin first, and then to us. With Cheng Ziyin's foolish loyalty to Sun Yuanqi, he didn't pull up the team and said goodbye now, which is already worthy of us. Do you expect him to follow our orders to go north? The reason why Zhao Dudu sent a telegram was not to ask for our opinions. He just wanted to tell us about his arrangements and let us adjust the deployment as soon as possible so that we would not be caught off guard by that time. ”

Wu Luzhen sighed at this time: "It's a good situation, it's a failure!" ”

He Sui hurriedly stepped forward and persuaded: "Commander, don't be discouraged! We still have nearly 10,000 men and horses in the headquarters of the coalition army. Coupled with the strength of the Twentieth Town and the Second Mixed Association, it was more than enough to deal with the old soldiers of the Praetorian Guard and the Yi Army. As long as we capture the capital and destroy the Manchu imperial family, the situation will be turned upside down, so why be afraid! ”

Zhou Weizhen also said: "Not bad! In any case, let's destroy the Manchu dog Tartars first! ”

Wu Luzhen smiled helplessly: "If we don't move now." This situation can continue for some time; I'm afraid that if we move, Yuan Weiting in the south should also move! ”

This is also the problem that Zhang Shiying, He Sui and other former revolutionary righteous people in the sixth town are most worried about. The Sixth Town dealt with the Praetorian Guard, the Resolute Army, and perhaps the strength of a battle; But if you want to meet the Beiyang elite under Yuan Shikai, it will be difficult to say. After all, Yuan Shikai is the spiritual leader of the Beiyang Army, and the sixth town is the foundation of the old Beiyang. If these two meet, mutinies, defections, and so on may occur at any time.

He Sui stepped forward: "Commander, there is no turning back when you open the bow!" At this point, we can only go one way to the dark. Instead of being trapped in the city of sorrow and waiting to die, it is better to gather the whole army and strive to go north, maybe there is still a glimmer of life! ”

Zhang Shiying said: "No, it should be said that there is a great chance of winning, and the key depends on who is faster between us and Yuan Weiting." As long as we unite with Zhang Jingyu and Lan Jihao before Yuan Weiting catches up, and take the capital, we will be invincible. If you are slow, I am afraid that it will be difficult to say! ”

Zhou Weizhen also persuaded: "Commander, give an order quickly!" When the interruption continues, it will be chaotic! ”

Wu Luzhen gritted her teeth and slammed the table hard: "Okay!" People die and birds are facing the sky, and they will not die for thousands of years, so let's do another big one! I want to see if his mother's surname Yuan has a sharp foot, or his brother's legs are fast! Ganchen, you go to the 11th Association Li Xiushan (Li Chun) to discuss borrowing troops, and tomorrow morning you will take a bid to the north to hand over the defense with Cheng Ziyin's department. ”

"Yes!" Zhou Weizhen replied loudly.

"Xu Fu, you will send a telegram to Zhang Jingyu and Lan Jihao later, and say that I have agreed to their conditions. Then the officers at and above the battalion level of all units and battalions were notified to hold a meeting at 7 o'clock tomorrow morning to discuss the matter of going north. ”

"Good!" He Sui nodded vigorously.

"Brother Yuhe, you work hard again tonight and work out a plan for going north, the sooner the better, the more detailed the better!"

"Yes!" Zhang Shiying saluted, "If the commander has nothing else to do, then we will leave." ”

Wu Luzhen thought for a while and added: "Actually, we went north this time, making a desperate bet and fighting for our lives. But when an army marches and fights, it must be considered defeat before victory. So we have to think about what if the legs and feet are not as fast as Yuan Weiting? In this telegram, Zhao Xingzhi advised our Sixth Town brothers to go west with Cheng Ziyin's troops now, so as not to fall into a bitter battle here. But I don't want to go, why?

"First, although the situation in Zhili is difficult and dangerous now, there are the 20th Town and the 2nd Mixed Association in the north, and our brothers in the 6th Town in the south. If we leave, what will Zhang Jingyu and Lan Jihao do? Now that the revolutionary situation is in full swing, we must not ignore our friendly forces because we are greedy for life and fear death, let alone give the Manchus a chance to survive.

"Second, the brothers in the sixth town are all people from the vicinity of Beijing, Tianjin, and Zhili, and their families are still in the military camp in Nanyuan. Once we go west with Cheng Ziyin's troops, the army will disperse without fighting.

"Third, in terms of age, my Wu is a brother, and he Zhao Xingzhi is a younger brother; At the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer School, I, Wu, am a senior, and he Zhao Xingzhi is a junior; In the army, I, Wu, am the commander of the sixth town, and he Zhao Xingzhi is the forty-fourth mixed association. Now I want Wu to go to Shaanxi to listen to Zhao Xingzhi's command, I can't afford to lose this face!

"If everything goes well this trip north, it will be great! In case something happens, I hope you go to Shaanxi with Cheng Ziyin. Now Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Sichuan are all in Sun Baixi's pocket, and Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Tibet will sooner or later be their territory. You go there and mix well, you may not be able to get a governor to do it in the future! ”

Wu Luzhen's explanation was like a dying entrustment, and the three of them all felt ominous in their hearts, and hurriedly shouted: "Commander! ”

Wu Luzhen waved his hand: "Needless to say, the military situation is urgent, you all hurry up!" I'm also going to plan my way north. ”

He Sui suddenly remembered something at this time: "Commander, someone recently saw Zhou Fulin in the city. When you dismissed him from his post and investigated, he always held a grudge. It is said that after he was transferred out of the Sixth Town, he often sharpened his knife and said that he was going to kill you. Will his appearance in Zhengding be bad for you this time? ”

Zhou Fulin was originally the co-commander of the Twelfth Association of the Sixth Town, and after Wu Luzhen assumed the command of the Sixth Town, he was the first to take him under the knife and remove him from his post for investigation on the grounds that he was 'very addicted to cigarettes and acting like thieves'. Zhou Fulin naturally hated Wu Luzhen to the bone.

Wu Luzhen didn't care: "There are more people who want my head, what is that big smoker making a fuss?" Let him go to the back and line up slowly! ”

Everyone couldn't help laughing, and then they retreated.

After going out, He Sui was still a little uneasy, and specially came to the small courtyard of the guard captain Ma Buzhou, ready to explain carefully, so that he could pay attention to the safety of Commander Wu recently. I pushed the door and found that the courtyard door had been firmly latched from the inside. It's twelve o'clock in the night, and by this time most people have already gone to sleep. He Sui didn't doubt it, and peeked in a few times through the crack in the door at will, thinking: If Ma Buzhou hadn't slept yet, he would call him out and give him a few words; If the lights are out, tell him tomorrow!

He Sui looked at it so indiscriminately, and found that there was a faint light in the room, reflecting the figures on the window paper, and he couldn't help but be happy, and shouted loudly: "Ma Huitian, open the door quickly!" ”

Shouts were heard in the room, but there was a rush, and the candles were blown out, and the bolt could be faintly heard. Someone in the room asked, "Who?" ”

He Sui frowned: "I am He Sui, Ma Huitian is not there?" (To be continued.) )