Years of the Republic of China 1913

"Quiet! They're all revolutionary soldiers, how can they be so chaotic!" Seeing the whispers below, the brigade commander Huang Kaiyuan was displeased immediately, raised his face seriously and shouted loudly. He took half a step back, bowed his waist and said courteously to Fang Zida: "Deputy Master Fang, please continue..."

Nodding slightly, Fang Zida loudly began to issue orders, requiring all regiments and battalion commanders to prepare for battle immediately, and the troops originally stationed in the south of Nanjing City will transfer to the defense line and prepare to move out.

"Deputy Commander Fang, I would like to ask, who is our Eighth Division going to fight with?" As soon as Fang Zida's voice fell, a very young battalion commander stood up and asked loudly, followed by other junior officers who also asked questions one after another. Even the group leaders looked at Fang Zida with doubts.

Although the Eighth Division was under control as a whole, Fang Zida had heard some bad things recently, mainly because of the division's reaction to the so-called "second revolution" by Sun Wen, Chen Qimei, Li Liejun and others.Although the Eighth Division is an army of the KMT, the historical connection between the KMT and Sun Wen's revolutionary party cannot be severed. Many middle and lower-level officers of the Eighth Division, including senior officers, are mostly from the Tongmenghui. It can be said that there is me in you, and there is you in me. The bones are broken and the tendons are connected. Suddenly, these people turn their guns and shoot at the former revolutionary comrades. Or in other aspects, there are some indescribable discomforts.

Even some officers were aggrieved by this, thinking that the Eighth Division had now completely become Beiyang's henchman and lost its original revolutionary belief.If it weren't for Fang Zida's strong control over the troops, plus a lot of money to buy people's hearts and the shock caused by Lin Hu's death, perhaps the entire Eighth Division would have been messed up long ago.

Just after the 31st Regiment was ordered to go south to quell the chaos in Shanghai, the [-]th Division said everything. Even Liu Zhi and Xiong Shihui couldn't understand Fang Zida's actions. If Fang Zida hadn't tried his best to explain kmt to them I am afraid that Liu Zhi and Xiong Shihui have already harbored the same resentment as the junior officers.

Looking at the battalion commander standing up in front of him, his young face was resolute, with questioning eyes in his eyes, and he looked at himself without fear. Maybe when Fang Zida only said that he would take the entire Eighth Division south to cooperate with the Beiyang Army If he attacked the Jiangxi Revolutionary Party, he would make trouble.

"What a hot-blooded young man!" Fang Zida looked at him calmly, and then looked at a group of officers with the same expression in front of him, thinking in his heart, suddenly he realized that it might not be a bad thing to fight Zhang Xun now.The current situation of the Eighth Division is indeed a bit embarrassing. Although Song Jiaoren and Fang Zida’s actions in the Eighth Division are not wrong, no matter from the perspective of the overall situation of the country or political stability, there is nothing wrong with Yuan Shikai’s Beiyang Department and Sun Wen’s Revolutionary Party. However, the Eighth Division is a non-negligible military force. No matter who is in their position, there are only two options for the Eighth Division. One is to win over the Eighth Division, and the other is to completely disappear the Eighth Division.

To win over, Sun Wen has already done this move, isn't Zhu Zhuowen sent by Chen Qimei?Didn't Lin Hu secretly conspire with Li Liejun?Fang Zida decisively cut off the Revolutionary Party's idea of ​​trying to win over the Eighth Division, making all their plans come to naught.But now, Yuan Shikai's Beiyang is planning another calculation, which is to try to eliminate the Eighth Division.

Of course, someone as cunning as Lao Yuan would never do it openly and aboveboard. Besides, Song Jiaoren has become the prime minister of the state, and the National Congress is controlled by Song Jiaoren. Once the Beiyang Army attacks the Eighth Division Launching an attack would not only have to withstand the attacks of Song Jiaoren, the Congress, and the people, but would also push the entire KMT and the Eighth Division to Sun Wen's side, leading to political chaos. As the president, Yuan Shikai absolutely did not want to see such a situation.

In this way, Zhang Xun's department, who acted without authorization, became the best pawn.Yuan Shikai was cunning and treacherous, and he kept on watching in the name of constitutionalism, writing beautiful "empty checks" one after another in front of the public, and he was impeccable in terms of righteousness.But in fact, Yuan Shikai had acquiesced in Zhang Xun's action, and the innocuous dismissal and investigation order from the Ministry of the Army had absolutely no effect on Zhang Xun, who had a large army in his hands.What's more, although Zhang Xun is a military ruffian, he was also a high-ranking member of the admiral in the past. Would he not understand the tricks in the officialdom?With Yuan Shikai's secret support, Zhang Xun now has no worries, commanding the army to march towards Nanjing aggressively.

Under such circumstances, it would not be a bad thing to have a head-to-head encounter with Zhang Xun in Nanjing.First, it can completely change the unstable situation of the eighth division's internal people, and take this opportunity to unite the people's hearts of the eighth division.Secondly, it can also give head-on blows to the various factions who plan to calculate the Eighth Division and KMT, and demonstrate the military power of KMT.Thinking of this, the anxiety in Fang Zida's heart was swept away, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Zhang Xun! Braided Army!"

"Zhang Xun?!"

When Fang Zida answered this, the officers present were stunned, and even the young battalion commander who wanted to question Fang Zida stood there dumbfounded.

"Dear comrades, some comrades may already know that Zhang Xun's braided army suddenly captured my Xuzhou City some time ago, and now it is coming towards my Nanjing aggressively. The Central Committee, Premier Song, and the Ministry of the Army have repeatedly ordered Zhang Xun's department to transfer out immediately. Jiangsu, you are not allowed to have contact with my Eighth Division, but Zhang Xun has not changed his stubbornness, he does not respect orders, and still has the idea of ​​​​taking Nanjing. Is this kind of army the country's army? Wrong! Zhang Xun's braided army is in the name Above all, it is the national army, but it is actually a warlord through and through!"

The loud voice echoed in the room. Fang Zida glanced over the crowd and asked loudly: "What is a warlord? What is a warlord? A soldier or military group that has an army, separates one side, does not obey the orders of the central government, and forms its own faction. , This is called a warlord! Zhang Xun served as the admiral of Jiangsu during the Qing Dynasty, resisting the revolution, massacring revolutionaries, committing a lot of blood debts, and his hands were covered with the blood of our revolutionary soldiers! After the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, the government of the Republic of China For the sake of the unity and stability of the country and the unity of the majority of people who can be united, they deliberately let go of the past, pardoned the crimes he committed, and let him continue to lead troops to serve the country. But! Although Zhang Xun's troops were retained by the central government, he People don't want to repent, they are still attached to the "Great Qing Dynasty", and they still want to be loyal ministers of the Qing Dynasty. Just from the fact that his army is called the Braided Army, it can be seen how stubborn and determined this person is. But now , the country rebelled everywhere, and Zhang Xun's troops should have obeyed the orders of the central government to quell the rebellion, but how did he do it? He took this opportunity to attack the friendly army and seize the territory, trying to continue his dream of being the admiral of Jiangsu! What should we do with such a warlord? There is nothing else, we must completely defeat him! To maintain the integrity of the country and the unity of the military and the government! Premier Song proposed that China needs constitutional government, so what is constitutional government? Perhaps everyone has heard of this term There are quite a few people here, but how many people really know about it? The word constitutionalism actually comes from the West, and it starts from the United Kingdom..."

Fang Zida spit all over the place, talking eloquently on the stage.It not only gave ordinary military officers a political lesson, but also gave them a war mobilization meeting.He cleverly shifted the main contradiction from Sun Wen, Li Liejun, Chen Qimei and others to Zhang Xun who is currently targeting him, and pointed out the essence of warlords.Although he was talking about Zhang Xun in some words, he was actually talking about Sun Wen, Li Liejun, Chen Qimei and even those southern governors who were about to make a move.Moreover, he also vigorously advocated Song Jiaoren's constitutional philosophy. Most of these young revolutionary officers were easily overheated, and the real revolutionary ideals had not yet taken shape. Although Fang Zida's indoctrination could not achieve immediate results, the army supported and worshiped Song Jiaoren. Ren has many officers, and he believes that this will gradually change over time.

Waving his arms vigorously, he loudly criticized the evil warlord Zhang Xun, and criticized the danger of warlords to the country and democracy.As he spoke, a look of passion gradually flashed in the eyes of the officers.

"...I, Fang Zida! I will swear an oath here as the deputy division commander of the Eighth Division! Our revolutionary soldiers must obey the orders of the country and maintain the integrity of the country. Down with Zhang Xun! Down with the warlords! Long live the Eighth Division!"

"Down with Zhang Xun!"

"Down with the warlord!"

"Long live the Eighth Division!"

For a moment, the morale of all the officers was boosted. In their eyes, what is a mere handsome Zhang Xun?Back then, he was beaten by their revolutionary soldiers and fled Jiangsu. Now he still has the guts to come back?Does the Eighth Division have to let him try it this time?

Looking at the scene in front of him in relief, Fang Zida, who was talking so much that his throat was about to smoke, finally laughed.The morale of the army is mobilized, and this battle will be easy to fight. Not only him, but also Huang Kaiyuan and others present are relieved, but only the division commander Zhao Hengti is still silent, sitting on the side like a clay bodhisattva, no one can guess Find out what he's thinking right now.

The Eighth Division reacted quickly, and immediately after the mobilization meeting, the entire unit moved into action. Apart from leaving a battalion to garrison Zhongshan, Pukou and other places separately, the main forces of the whole division quickly gathered in the direction of Liuhe.When Fang Zida arrived at the front line, he sent a small group of scouts to Yizheng and other places to pay close attention to the movements of Zhang Xun's troops in the north.

While the Eighth Division was making preparations in Liuhe, Zhang Xun's troops had already arrived in Yangzhou along the railway line.It can be said that the distance between the two sides is not far away, and the two armies will confront each other in half a day at most.At this point, an unprecedented war will kick off.