Faced with Yan Huiqing's accusation, Yan Xishan could only say helplessly: "Fifth sister, I just want to be alone, so please stop talking about it."
However, Yan Huiqing insisted: "This is no good. If you don't eat on time, you will easily get stomach problems. When the time comes, my cousin will blame me. Don't rely on me."
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. Can you go back to the main office for dinner?" Seeing his cousin's pretty face, Yan Xishan had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.
"That's right." Seeing Yan Xishan agree to go to dinner, Yan Huiqing smiled brightly. She took two steps forward and took Yan Xishan's arm, helping him walk towards the back.
"Old man, I noticed that you have always been preoccupied during this period. Logically speaking, you should be happy that Taiyuan has been recovered. Why are you more irritable?"
"Fifth sister, you don't know."
Facing his most trusted cousin, the old man who had ruled Shanxi for decades poured out his thoughts like an ordinary old man.
"Fifth sister, what do you think of the strength of our Jinsui Army now compared to the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937)?"
Yan Huiqing thought for a while: "Of course it was forced in the 26th year of the Republic of China. At that time, we had 17 infantry divisions alone. Adding in artillery, engineers, and cavalry, our strength alone reached 200,000.
In addition, we have the Taiyuan Arsenal as the foundation. In terms of strength, apart from being slightly inferior to the Northwest Army and the Sichuan Army, other local warlords cannot compare with us."
"yes."
Yan Xishan sighed softly, "But now, we still have more than a dozen divisions in name, but in fact, except for the first few divisions with higher numbers, these troops have a certain combat effectiveness, and the other divisions are not training
, morale and weapons and equipment are too different.
Even though we have now liberated Taiyuan, all the newspapers have praised us to the sky, and even Chairman Chiang Kai-shek has specially sent a telegram to commend us, but we are dumb and know what we are eating dumplings.
Taiyuan is such an important place, will the Japanese just watch us recover it? Maybe one day the Battle of Taiyuan will happen again, and it's hard to say whether we can stop it by then.
What should we do once we can no longer stop us? Are we going to go back to Kenanpo and hide? How do you want the people of the country and Chairman Chiang in Chongqing to think of us?"
Looking at Yan Xishan with a sad face, Yan Huiqing didn't know what to do.
Although she was also a smart woman, she could only stare blankly in the face of such a complex, dangerous and changeable situation during the war of resistance against Japan.
While talking, the two returned to the cave where Yan Xishan lived. After the two entered the house, the orderly immediately put the food on the table.
The food on the table is also very simple, two steamed buns, a bowl of millet porridge, two plates of vegetables, tofu, a small plate of pickles and a few boiled eggs.
After Yan Xishan sat down, Yan Huiqing picked up a steamed bun and handed it to him, then picked up a pair of chopsticks and put pickles on the plate in front of him.
Yan Xishan ate two mouthfuls of steamed buns with pickles and a mouthful of millet porridge before putting down his chopsticks. Seeing this, Yan Huiqing was about to persuade him to eat more when she heard the orderly shouting at the door: "Report... Deputy Commander Yang is here
Asking to see you outside the door!"
"oh"
Yan Xishan was slightly startled and waved his hand: "Quickly... let him in."
Soon, Yang Aiyuan, deputy commander of the theater, strode in.
Yan Xishan waved to him: "Xingru is here, come and have something with me."
Yang Aiyuan glanced at the food in front of Yan Xishan and said with a smile: "Mr. Yan is still so frugal."
"What's wrong with being frugal?" Yan Xishan smiled, "Sit down quickly, and Fifth Sister quickly goes to get a pair of bowls and chopsticks for Xingru."
After Yang Aiyuan sat down, Yan Xishan continued: "When I was a child, I followed my father all over the world to do business. When Guangxu was 26 years old, my father's business failed.
I followed my father from Liantai County to Taiyuan to hide from debts. At that time, we, father and son, could only sleep in the Tutu Temple, with a steamed bun and cold water every day, and sometimes we didn't even have to eat the steamed buns. It was really hard at that time.
Now I have millet porridge to drink, enough steamed buns, vegetables, and eggs, which is already good."
While talking, Yan Huiqing brought another pair of chopsticks and a bowl of millet porridge and placed them in front of Yang Aiyuan. She said apologetically: "Sir Yang, I'm really sorry. It's just a simple meal. Please make do with it."
Yang Aiyuan laughed, picked up the bowl and drank a big mouthful of millet porridge, then grabbed a steamed bun and ate a few big mouthfuls, and then said: "Now is the time of national crisis. Many people in Taiyuan don't talk about steamed buns.
We’ve eaten grass roots and tree bark, so what else do we have to complain about.”
Yan Xishan was silent for a moment: "Xingru, I know everything you said. Now that Taiyuan has just been liberated, Taiyuan City was seriously damaged in the last war, and the people's lives are miserable.
But the most important thing we face now is not this, but the movements of the Japanese army."
"yes!"
Yang Aiyuan sighed softly: "Intelligence just came from the front, and the new commander of the Japanese First Army, Yoshimoto Teiichi, has made new moves.
Starting last week, Yoshimoto Sadai began to make big moves. The 36th and 37th Divisions have regained a certain combat effectiveness after several months of rest. Now these two divisions have been transferred to XZ, Lan County, and Luliang areas
.
If these two divisions suddenly launch an attack on Taiyuan, our troops may suffer."
Hearing this, Yan Xishan said displeasedly: "Xingru, what did you say? We currently have five divisions deployed outside Taiyuan. Can't we even stop the two Japanese divisions that have not yet recovered their strength?
I remember two months ago, you commanded our five divisions and fought bravely. Why would you not be able to fight this time without the help of the Eighth Route Army and the Liantai Militia?"
Yang Aiyuan smiled bitterly and said: "My Commander Yan, it's not like you don't know. To fight the Japanese, it's a matter of having more troops and fewer troops. In the first battle of Taiyuan in the twenty-sixth year of the Republic of China, we used all our forces.
In terms of military strength, the Japanese used four and a half divisions.
But what was the result? Taiyuan was still lost. Not only did we lose the Taiyuan Arsenal, we also lost most of our troops.
Besides, you are absolutely right in saying that we will not be able to fight without the Eighth Route Army and the Liantai Militia.
The Eighth Route Army is just that, but the Liantai Militia is really powerful.
Let me tell you this, if we still cooperate with Gao Hongming and Nawazi this time, let alone defend Taiyuan, I will dare to lead people to attack Datong now."
Hearing the words Gao Hongming, Yan Xishan couldn't help but show a look of resentment on his face. "This kid, I don't know what he is doing. Liantai County, which is a good place, doesn't stay alone, and actually goes to the Pacific to fight for the Americans. I