Beiyang 1917

What happened in the two months of April and May 1917 was dizzying. As far as Wang Geng was concerned, the prestige of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Duan Cabinet was as high as the sky because of the improvement of the conditions for China’s participation in the war and the smooth finalization of these conditions with the foreign powers. Li Yuanhong even resigned directly because of China's first student movement. Of course, Zhang Xun's braided soldiers would be useless, let alone the so-called restoration that had no chance at all.

As far as the south is concerned, because it was President Li Yuanhong who stepped down instead of the National Assembly being dissolved in the previous life, the "law protection movement" that split the north and the south in history had no chance at all.With Vice President Feng Guozhang going north to become the acting president, and the continuous arrival of American aid and Japanese aid, the continuous growth and arming of the participating troops, and the smooth launch of the new banknotes, Zhongyuan, the great powers have formed a friendship with China. Support, for a time China's ruling and opposition parties were in an unprecedented stage of unity and prosperity.

Not only Beiyang seemed to be in harmony, but also the local warlords and Kuomintang warlords in the south responded positively to the easing of the situation. Foreign wars were indeed the only magic weapon to divert domestic conflicts and the attention of the ruling and opposition parties.

The generous treatment and brand-new equipment of the participating troops made the warlords in Beiyang salivate first. Feng Guozhang, the acting president, was even more jealous. After the first batch of American reinforcements arrived in Nanyuan, especially after Wang Geng asked the troops to drive [-] After the brand-new military vehicles circled the four cities of Beijing, they were loud and loud.

Finally, President Feng couldn't sit still and invited Chief of Staff and Gyeonggi Garrison Commander Wang Shizhen and State Prime Minister and Army Chief Duan Qirui into his presidential palace. He nicknamed it the "Three Heroes of Beiyang" and joined hands again. China's reunification is expected, and the country's national rejuvenation is expected.

Wang Shizhen was noncommittal and just said haha, since Yuan Shikai's death, this guy has gradually faded out of the power center, the so-called Gyeonggi Garrison Command, but it governs a brigade with less than 5000 troops, and there are not many guns. In front of the big boss, this guy is wise and safe, and he doesn't express his opinion at all, just being submissive.

Although Feng Guozhang took the 16th Division and the [-]th Division of the Army with a strength of over [-] to the north, the real combat power is the No.[-] Division of the Army adapted from the Imperial Guard, and Wang Tingzhen's division is only [-]. Six people and horses, the standard Beiyang two brigades and four regiments are organized in a square shape.

As for the No.15 Division, it just came from the expansion of the Fifth Mixed Brigade before going north. The division commander Liu Xun, the 5th Division is full of nearly [-] people, and the personnel are neither neat nor equipped with rifles. All the firearms of the mixed brigade were left to Li Chun in Nanjing. He thought that the [-]th Division would go northward empty-handed. Xu Shuzheng didn't buy it at all.

Xu Shuzheng's reason is also very simple. Since China has officially joined the war, Wang Geng's model army is naturally the object of priority equipment and support of the Ministry of the Army. Now even the [-] recruits of the participating army have not even used fire sticks to swing crosses on both sides of the Yongding River. Pickaxes and shovels are digging river mud. Where can the Ministry of the Army find extra guns and ammunition to equip your new [-]th Division!

Feng Guozhang was angrily yelled at by Xu Shuzheng, who threw a plate at the Presidential Palace, but there was nothing he could do. When the first batch of American reinforcements arrived in Hong Kong, he couldn't hold back anymore. He obviously invited Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui to talk about the old days. In fact, I want Duan Qirui to let go, take a share of the newly arrived American equipment, and arm the No.15 Division crowded with the troops of the Garrison Command in the Xishan Barracks!

As for the more capable Sixteenth Division, because of the strength of Nanyuan's participating army, and because Feng Guozhang didn't want to confront Maimang and make his direct troops suffer, he was simply transferred to Tongzhou to be stationed.

"Brother Huafu, I fully understand what you mean, but we have an agreement with the British, French, American and Japanese powers. Whether it is loans or aid from the United States and Japan, especially arms and equipment, the Yankees' own 60 recruits are still fighting with their bare hands." The new barracks are struggling. Wang Geng tried to get these [-] rifles from the United States. It took the boss’s energy and face. We promised the Americans that the money will be used for special purposes. The American reinforcements can only be used to arm the participating troops. I want to give it to you Even dialing a Springfield rifle wouldn't do!"

Duan Qirui took a sip of tea unhurriedly, and explained in a slow but painstaking manner why even one brigade of firearms could not be allocated from the American reinforcements of the participating troops to equip the President's [-]th Guards Division. The Prime Minister who looked down on Feng Guozhang at all in his bones would never say the word "President" even if he was killed.

"Zhiquan Zhiquan, look at what this is saying, isn't it just tens of thousands of guns, okay, we don't need the Springfield style, or you can ask Wang Geng to mix the original 16 into a German-style Mauser in the hands of the brigade Just replace it with me! I am a dignified president, and the guards under him are unarmed!" Feng Guozhang grinned and frowned.

"Hua Fu, if you ask me to say that you want two divisions to serve as the presidential guard, it is a joke. They all say that with China's participation in the war, whether it is Beiyang or the North and the South, they will unite as one and give him the matter of participating in the war. Okay, have you ever heard of a president who wants to have two divisions as guards? President Yuan only has one brigade of guards, and the brigade of the guards of me, the prime minister and the chief of the army, has less than 3000 people. You want 2 What's the use of a guard with many people?" The old Duan frowned and raised the pot.

"Hehe...Father and son soldiers in the battle, brothers fighting tigers, these two divisions have been with me for a long time, and have never left them. If I leave them in Nanjing and I go north alone, I am afraid that the morale of the army will be unstable. It became a mutiny, so knowing that there are discussions in the market, I still reluctantly brought them here!"

Feng Guozhang blushed, this guy was two years older than Wang Shizhen and six years older than Duan Qirui, but he was the least courageous, the worst and most greedy of the three Beiyang heroes.

When Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui entered the presidential palace together just now, they saw the secretary-general of the presidential palace directing a group of people to use nets to catch the big fish that had been kept in Zhongnanhai for generations. After all the fish were caught, there were always hundreds of thousands of catties, and when they were sold to subsidize the President's family, Duan Qirui and Wang Shizhen looked at each other in disbelief when they heard the words, and they could hardly believe their ears.

"The designation of the 16th mixed brigade has been canceled. The country does not have so many idle soldiers. The firearms you mentioned are now equipped with the equipment of the first brigade of the first division of the participating army. This brigade has a full set of German equipment. I heard from Wang Geng that the participating army will conduct exercises in the future At that time, the blue army was in charge of the brigade equipped with German weapons, so these guns and equipment will not be changed, let alone for you!" Duan Qirui said coldly.

"Zhiquan! I'm doing this for official business. If the [-]th Division's morale is unstable and leads to a mutiny, then everyone will be unable to get down!" Feng Guozhang threw the teacup in his hand, obviously very angry!

"Create a mutiny? How is it possible, Lao Feng, didn't you bring junior soldiers from Nanjing? If you rebel without firing a gun, what are you called junior soldiers? Every soldier who participated in the war will sing the three-nine rules of discipline. Do you want to pay attention? I asked Wang Geng to send a gendarmerie battalion to Xishan to help you straighten out your military discipline? Teach them to sing this song first!" The Prime Minister was not moved at all, and the words he said could kill flies.

"Alright, alright, President and Prime Minister, the three of us today are reminiscing about the past, not talking about it. According to me, there is a good way to solve the problem of the Fifteenth Division's bare hands! I just wonder if you two are willing to listen? "

Wang Shizhen, the head of the three Beiyang heroes who had been watching the play with his goatee in his hands and didn't speak, finally spoke.

Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang looked at each other when they heard the words, the Prime Minister said nothing with a sullen face, but Feng Guozhang couldn't help but said, "Oh! Guanru, your idea must be right, Feng would like to hear more about it!"

"It's very simple. The Prime Minister is right. The President doesn't need two divisions of guards. One sixteenth division is enough. The fifteenth division, which has [-] men and no guns, might as well be directly assigned to the army that participated in the war." Wang Shizhen Holding his beard and shaking his head, he came up with such an idea.