Beiyang reactionaries

Traditional literati.

Although Wang Yongjiang is very capable, he accepts new things very quickly.But in his heart, he is still a traditional literati, and what he pays attention to is that scholars should die for their confidants.Although the young man in front of him was very young, ten years younger than himself.

But Wang Yongjiang felt a confidant.

For the first time, someone valued himself so much.Therefore, Wang Yongjiang also clasped his fists very solemnly and said: "I want to do what I want, I dare not ask you."

"Okay. Mr. Wang, my police system in western Henan is still blank. But the work needs to be carried out. In this case, I plan to temporarily assign some militia troops to the command of the Western Henan Police Department. Mr. Wang, you will be the director of the Western Henan Police Department. First, treat the Western Henan Militia that I assigned to you as a police force."

"can."

"Then improve my financial system in western Henan. Don't worry about the following things. If someone really stands up, it should be killed and shut down. I fully support it."

If it is a place like Luoyang, the local power faction is very strong.With the current strength of Duan Xun, it is difficult to convince Duan Xun, but in a poor place like Western Henan, there are not many powerful gentry groups.It's time to kill, it's time to shut down. If I am a warlord, I can't even deal with them. How can I be a big warlord.

"Yes."

41 preparation

On February 1915, 2, that is, the second day of the first lunar month of the new year, Yuan Shikai appointed Chen Heng to handle Sichuan military affairs as the deputy chief of staff.However, it has not yet been issued which troops will be brought into Sichuan.

But Duan Xun knew that he would definitely enter Sichuan.

Otherwise, Duan Qirui wouldn't call himself.Although Duan Qirui was not in the center during this time, he was resting at home, but Duan Qirui was the number two figure in the Beiyang Army after all, and he had a lot of contacts in the center.There are many things that cannot be hidden from him.

So after receiving the news, Duan Xun immediately ordered Jiang Hongyu to expand the two regiments in western Henan.

Originally, Duan Xun had been very cautious about expanding his army since he came to the west of Henan.At the beginning, Duan Xun's troops were always dissatisfied with the formation. This was not because Duan Xun had to pay for nothing, but because Duan Xun had very high requirements for the troops.

Slowly develop.

While cultivating officers, while developing the army.That is, in the past six months, Duan Xun suddenly expanded his army relatively quickly.In order to adapt to this, Duan Xun also increased the training of officers.Because Duan Xun has always attached the most importance to officer training, Duan Xun's current 29th Mixed Brigade needless to say, even Duan Yong's Independent Bandit Suppression Regiment, Wang Tianpei's Bandit Suppression Independent Second Regiment, and Tao Jichang (Tao Zhiyue)'s Bandit Suppression Special Service Battalion , Most of the grassroots officers have also been trained in rotation in the officer teaching brigade.The First Independent Regiment and the Second Independent Regiment have never relaxed their training.

What about the bandit squad?

Duan Xun has absolute certainty.In the current sequence of the Chinese army, there are not many troops that can defeat the First Independent Regiment and the Second Independent Regiment head-to-head.Because their tactical level is very good, and after more than half a year of suppressing bandits, they have accumulated enough combat experience.

What Duan Xun has always wanted is the policy of elite soldiers.Even if the army expands by a few thousand people in the past six months, it is not a blind expansion of the army.Duan Xun really didn't relax for a minute as the veterans passed on to help and train junior officers.

Originally, Duan Xun wanted to be stable for a few months, and then expand his troops again for the next war to protect the country.

But Duan Xun became a little anxious because he was going to enter Sichuan so soon.Duan Xun plans to immediately expand the army and add two new corps.Anyway, Duan Xun now has Wang Yongjiang to help him sort out western Henan and collect taxes in western Henan, so he is not short of money.

In addition to the taxes provided by Western Henan, Duan Xun also has Xin'an Coal Mine, Luanchuan Tungsten Mine, Songxian Gold Mine, and the rich Chinese medicinal materials in Western Henan, and the money is pouring in.And with Duan Xun's efforts to suppress bandits in western Henan in the past two years, more and more business travelers are willing to take the road of western Henan.

Collecting taxes from them is another large sum of money.

Duan Xun had money to expand his army.

And there are many names for military expansion.It can be called a militia, it can also be called a bandit suppression force, or it can even be expanded in the name of the police.The reason why warlords with territory are difficult to control is because they have enough money and enough name to expand their army.

While Duan Xun was busy expanding his army, the domestic situation was unpredictable.At the beginning of the new year, Japan proposed "21 Articles" to Yuan Shikai, but Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang soon led the generals of the [-] provinces, that is, the governors of the [-] provinces called the government to express their opposition.It even stated that "those who attempt to destroy China's integrity must be rejected with all their strength. Although China is weak, the people will die in groups."

These generals are still tough.

On March 1915, 3, Yuan Shikai held a meeting with Japan.At the meeting, Duan Qirui was emotional and said he would be tough on Japan.And just a week before this meeting, that is, on March 19, 1915, Chen Heng left Beijing and went south to Sichuan.

21.

To be honest, although many people were aggrieved, Duan Xun was very calm at this time.Because I am the commander of a small mixed brigade, although I am the king and hegemony in western Henan, with tens of thousands of soldiers, but in the whole of China and in the whole of Beiyang, I am a person who speaks lightly, even if I have countless ideas, it is useless.

Since it's useless, no matter how loud the central organization is arguing now, it's none of Duan Xun's business.Duan Xun only cared about his own affairs, and didn't worry about it because of the national uproar.

On March 1915, 3, the order finally came down.

Chen Heng entered Sichuan this time to lead three mixed brigades, among them was Duan Xun's 29th mixed brigade.However, when Chen Heng went south, he did not meet Duan Xun in the west of Henan.Perhaps in the eyes of a big man like Chen Heng, Duan Xun is just a small man, not worthy of his attention.So just send someone to convey orders to Duan Xun.

Chen Heng's first destination was Hubei.

Chen Heng was in Hubei talking with Duan Zhigui, the Superintendent of Military Affairs in Hubei, and Wang Zhanyuan, the Assistant Military Affairs Office in Hubei. It was already March 1915, 3.Then Chen Heng met Tang Xiangming, the governor of Hunan, in Yueyang.

Until March 3, I met Chen Yushi, a good friend who lived at home after the failure of the second revolution.Then join Li Bing's tour and Wu Xiangzhen's tour in Yichang, Hubei.Ready to enter Sichuan.

At this time, Duan Xun couldn't sit still.

But Duan Xun can only wait.

Because Duan Xun has sent Deng Hanxiang to go north to do work.Duan Xun can enter Sichuan, but Duan Xun can't let go of Western Henan.Duan Xun's request is simple. Duan Xun can bring the 29th mixed brigade into Sichuan, but Duan Xun's position in western Henan must be retained.

Duan Xun told his superiors that after Lao Tzu went to Sichuan to help Chen Heng stabilize the situation, he left Sichuan and returned to western Henan.

Don't look a little rascal.

But in fact, this is the result of Duan Xun and Deng Hanxiang's analysis.Duan Xun is just a small shrimp, but Duan Xun is Duan Qirui's nephew and son-in-law.Now that Yuan Shikai made Duan Qirui a figurehead of the army chief and deprived Duan Qirui of his power, he should not want to continue to persecute him.

Similarly, Duan Xun showed his reluctance for Yuxi, which would make Yuan Shikai feel at ease.Ambitious, but ambition is just to be a toubob.It is far more reassuring than those other places.If Yuan Shikai wanted to deal with the generals on Duan Qirui's side, he would definitely deal with the powerful generals in those places first.So this is very possible.

really.

When Deng Hanxiang went north, the conflict between Yuan Shikai and Duan Qirui always broke out. On May 1915, 5, Li Yuanhong, Chief of Staff, Duan Qirui, Chief of the Army, and Liu Guanxiong, Chief of the Navy, led the three departments to Guanyue Temple to take an oath to show the loyalty of the soldiers to defend the country. On May 2, 1915, the cabinet discussed Japan's ultimatum to Yuan Shikai to sign the "5 Articles". Duan Qirui continued his views at the meeting, advocating the mobilization of the army and taking a tough attitude towards Japan.

Duan Qirui's tough attitude made Yuan Shikai very angry.Because Yuan Shikai's current situation is not very good.Yuan Shikai currently needs the support of Japan, so even if he does not fully agree with "Article 21", Yuan Shikai is inclined to cooperate with Japan.

Speaking of which, Duan Qirui's Anhui Department has a good relationship with Japan.But although Duan Qirui has a good relationship with Japan, he has his own persistence and his own bottom line.After several conflicts with Yuan Shikai, on May 1915, 5, Duan Qirui resigned due to illness. On May 30, 1915, Yuan Shikai appointed Wang Shizhen as the acting chief of the Ministry of Army, and then gave Duan Qirui a two-month sick leave.

It took Yuan Shikai a year to finally let Duan Qirui completely leave the central organization, completely leave the Ministry of War, and take back the military power of the Beiyang Army.

Of course this is only on the surface.

It is not a matter of one or two years for the Beiyang Army to eliminate Duan Qirui's influence.At this time, Duan Xun's telegram came to Yuan Shikai, and Deng Hanxiang also came to Beijing for activities.Yuan Shikai also felt that he owed Duan Qirui, so he agreed to Duan Xun's request with a swipe of the pen.

Duan Xun continued to serve as the tour envoy in western Henan, and Duan Xun continued to be in charge of everything in western Henan.And Duan Xun had to bring the 29th mixed brigade into Sichuan before mid-July to report to Chen Heng.

…………

After getting Yuan Shikai's consent, Duan Xun immediately held a military meeting.

"This time I enter Sichuan, I plan to take No. 60 Seventh Regiment (Regiment Leader Li Jishen), 68 Regiment (Regiment Leader Shang Zhen), 69 Regiment (Regiment Leader Wan Xuancai), Cavalry Regiment (Regiment Leader Yu Xuezhong), Artillery Regiment (Fang Dingying, head of the regiment), the guard regiment (Li Hong, head of the regiment), plus the first and second regiments of recruits."

To enter Sichuan.

Duan Xun is going to take the 29th mixed brigade into Sichuan.In the current establishment of the Beiyang Army, there is no mixed brigade that can compare with Duan Xun's 29th mixed brigade.Compared with other generals of the Beiyang Army who keep putting money into their pockets, Duan Xun can be said to have no money at all.Because Duan Xun spent all the money he earned.Duan Xun thought differently from those generals.

What they think about is how to make money in this position, but what Duan Xun thinks about is how to continue to climb up in the chaotic situation in the future.Therefore, since the Beiyang Army's large-scale military expansion during the Second Revolution, the Beiyang Army has suffered from lack of pay, non-purchase of weapons, and lack of ammunition.

But Duan Xun is not here at all.Even Duan Xun spent his own money to buy weapons and ammunition to equip his troops.

into Sichuan.