The Battle of Hankou, the Battle of Qinzhou, and the Battle of Jiange were no more than three days apart. Beiyang's backward command system had no time to coordinate. If Hankou fell, the Beiyang army in the south should shrink instead of attacking rashly.
The Qinzhou and Shaanxi-Gansu armies did not have any intuitive understanding of the Sichuan army, and Beiyang did not introduce it to them, so Lu Jianzhang and Zhang Guangjian plunged into an ambush and suffered heavy losses.
The three major defeats can be said to have highlighted the incompetence and inefficiency of the Beiyang system. Immediately after the Hu army pursued the victory, Cai E commanded the Yunnan and Guizhou troops and won a great victory in Mayang, completely defeating Ma Jizeng. Ma Jizeng committed suicide by taking poison. He was assassinated and the Sichuan army recovered
Guangyuan, the military front was directed at Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province.& qing.
"Qiao Shuai, the guards have won a great victory. In just two months, more than 60,000 Beiyang troops have been wiped out. The whole south is in danger. I think the next step is to attack Bei Jing and completely end the Beiyang rule!"
Cai E now seems to be very high-spirited. Although Sichuan is the most powerful force among the national protectors, Cai E was the first to declare du li after all. This is also a huge advantage. The benefits of the Yunnan Army in the national protector movement are absolutely indispensable.
When Qiao Yu saw Cai E taking the lead in the battle, he smiled bitterly: "Brother Jiang, please calculate for Songpo how much we spent on this war!"
Jiang Baili finished the conversation: "Songpo, this time the Sichuan Army dispatched a total of five divisions with more than 50,000 troops. In addition, most of the supplies consumed by Xia Douyin's Hubei Army and the Yunnan and Guizhou armies were borne by Sichuan. So far, Sichuan has a total of
Eighty-seven million yuan was spent on military expenditure!”
After Jiang Baili and Jiang reported the figures, Cai E was also stunned. Of course he knew that Sichuan spent a lot of money, but when he heard the astronomical figure that was close to 90 million oceans, Cai E was also dizzy for a while, and the cannon fired a golden million
Two, this statement is indeed true.
"Qiao Shuai, Brother Jiang, have you calculated wrongly? This is the total tax revenue of Beiyang government for a year?"
"Songpo, even if we are wrong, we are still short!" Jiang Baili said: "Sichuan has provided a total of 18 million arms and supplies to the Yunnan and Guizhou armies. Here are the supplies handed over to you, and there are a lot of them.
The supplies were lost in the transportation process. The road to the southwest was too difficult. The actual loss was more than 30 million. The cost of the Beichuan and Dongchuan battlefields was even more staggering. Not only did they have to fight, but they also had to appease the local areas. In order to
It cost two million yuan to compensate the damaged houses in Hankou. In addition, due to the need to mobilize war supplies, Sichuan has already turned down nearly 30% of its European orders, and the economic losses are even greater!"
Jiang Baili briefly introduced the expenditure situation to Cai E. Qiao Yu had a more detailed account in his mind. Sichuan's economic losses this time were more than 300 million yuan. Although Sichuan beat Beiyang to the ground and looked very impressive, but
It is also painful to realize that the strong combat effectiveness of the Sichuan Army comes from the use of advanced equipment, especially aircraft and large-caliber heavy artillery. However, transporting these weapons is also very troublesome, and the Shu Road is notoriously difficult to travel, which is also the case in World War I.
It has given Sichuan a huge accumulation, otherwise Sichuan would not be able to fight this kind of war. The powerful weapons look good, but a single logistics is enough to bend people.
After listening to Jiang Baili's introduction, Cai E also sighed: "Qiao Shuai, if you tell me these things now, does it mean that the war can no longer be fought?"
Qiao Yu nodded: "Songpo, if we continue to fight, we will get farther and farther away from Sichuan, our supply lines will become longer and longer, and the larger the territory we occupy, the Beiyang may be eliminated due to the huge pressure.
The misunderstandings have come together, and now, including the Allied Powers, the powers of various countries have issued warnings to me, asking to maintain the stability of the Far East and ensure the supply of the European War battlefield. In particular, Japan even threatened to send troops to help the Beiyang war, so I wanted to
It will be a little difficult to continue fighting!”
"Qiao Shuai, I know very well how much Sichuan has done to overthrow Yuan Shikai, but now it's the most critical moment. If we work harder, we can overthrow Yuan Shikai. If we give up, all our efforts will be wasted. Do we have to recognize Yuan Shikai as the emperor?"
Can’t make it?”
Jiang Baili shook his head at the side: "Songpo, you misunderstood. Qiao Shuai said that we can no longer continue large-scale operations, but we can still rely on small-scale battles to continuously attack Beiyang. Now Beiyang is also divided.
We can rely on strong pressure to force some powerful figures in Beiyang to stand up and overthrow Yuan Shikai's rule. In addition, we must integrate the internal affairs of the Hu* and establish stronger connections. Lu Rongting from Guangdong and Guangxi also joined the Hu*
The ranks of the army have reached five provinces, and the rule of Beiyang in the two lakes areas has also collapsed. We must establish a new order as soon as possible and establish a stable rear. If the Beiyang Army continues to support Yuan Shikai, we will continue
It’s not too late for the Northern Expedition!”
The reasons given by Jiang Baili are very sufficient. It is time for the Hu Jintao to be integrated. For example, Liu Xianshi and his ilk must be dealt with. The newly added Hunan and Guangxi Guangxi must also be dealt with. Otherwise, the foundation of the Hu Jintao will not be stable.
There was simply no way to continue the march.
Of course, this is the reason Qiao Yu gave Cai E. He also had his own calculations. The war to protect the country has reached this point. Qiao Yu has already understood the combat effectiveness of the Sichuan Army. The combat effectiveness of the Sichuan Army is definitely second to none in the country, but the Sichuan Army also has fatal weaknesses.
, that is logistics, which is also the inevitable path chosen by Qiao Yu. Sichuan wants to rely on strong industry to arm a strong army, which is similar to the idea of later America.
This method of building an army requires huge logistical support, otherwise this army will not be able to compare with the guerrillas. The current battlefield in Hubei is because of the Yangtze River waterway and the Sichuan-Hankou Railway to maintain logistics. The battlefield in Beichuan and Sichuan is an internal battle. The next step is to continue fighting.
, the loss will inevitably increase exponentially, and it will inevitably affect Sichuan's industrial process. Now Qiao Yu has no intention of continuing. He is about to start harvesting the fruits, but Qiao Yu's attention is not on the great rivers and mountains of the Central Plains. He is staring at it.
The living Yungui.
"Songpo, this is the telegram Duan Qirui sent me, you might as well read it!"
While Qiao Yu was speaking, he handed a telegram to Cai E. Cai E took it and took a look. This telegram was sent to Qiao Yu by Duan Qirui. In the telegram, Duan Qirui just asked Qiao Yu to protect Lu Jianzhang and Long.
There is no other content about the lives of the two governors of Jiguang, but the less there is, the more people are thinking about it. At this juncture, Duan Qirui sent such a telegram, which is equivalent to asking the guardian*
* showed good intentions and strived for reconciliation between the two parties. Qiao Yu knew very well that Duan Qirui was also ready to replace Yuan Shikai and become the new head of Beiyang after sending this telegram.
Cai E is so smart that he naturally guessed Duan Qirui's thoughts. Cai E also nodded, "Qiao Shuai, since Duan Qirui is interested in negotiating peace with us, we might as well get in touch and see what Duan Qirui can do.
No conditions, but abolishing the imperial system is our unshakable bottom line!"
Let’s discuss the status of the country together!”
At this moment, Qiao Yu seemed to convene a meeting in the name of protecting the ruler. Cai E had no choice but to obey, and after discussing it, they separated and prepared to go.
Qiao Yu knew very well that if he wanted to get what he wanted next, it would be necessary to cooperate with Duan Qirui, the successor leader of Beiyang, so he personally drafted a telegram and sent it to Duan Qirui.
Duan Qirui is very senior in Beiyang, and his power is second only to Yuan Shikai. Therefore, after Lao Yuan ascended to the throne of the president, he frequently suppressed Duan Qirui. Because Duan Qirui opposed the monarchy, Yuan Shikai sent Duan Qirui's army to the throne.
The chief executive was removed, and old Duan Suoxing lived in seclusion in Xishan, Beijing. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that the rift between Duan Qirui and Yuan Shikai had reached an irreconcilable level.
Although Lao Duan lives in seclusion in Xishan, he is not idle. It is similar to Yuan Shikai's seclusion in Huanshang Village. Lao Duan also pays close attention to the situation in the country, especially after the outbreak of the National Defense War, the issue of the Sichuan Army's participation in the war lies in the Sichuan Army.
After winning three consecutive victories, Duan Qirui could no longer sit still, so he sent a telegram to Qiao Yu, hoping to test Qiao Yu's attitude.
"Zhiweng, Qiao Yu has sent a reply!" Xu Shuzheng, Duan Qirui's confidant, sent a telegram to Lao Duan. Duan Qirui took it and read it carefully. Qiao Yu said in the telegram
There are two meanings. First, Qiao Yu promised Duan Qirui that he would treat Lu Jianzhang and Long Jiguang well. Second, Qiao Yu hoped that Duan Qirui could stand up and avoid the continuation of the war.
"Youzheng, what do you think of Qiao Yu's intention?"
"Zhiweng, I think Qiao Yu hopes that you can come forward to overthrow Yuan Xiangcheng!" Xu Shuzheng paused: "This farce of proclaiming the emperor should end, otherwise Beiyang will continue to be divided and divided, and it will only benefit outsiders!"
This is also the issue that Xu Shuzheng has been discussing these days. The Beiyang Army is known as the strongest army in the world, but it has suffered repeated defeats in the war to protect the country. To a large extent, the soldiers are disloyal and unwilling to sacrifice their lives, and the truly capable ones
None of the commanders have been reused, and the people on the front line are just a bunch of people who want to follow the trend, how can they be invincible.
"It's time to clean up the mess, we can't let Beiyang fall like this!" Duan Qirui finally made up his mind. The old friendship with Yuan Shikai disappeared at this moment, and Duan Qirui began to contact Beiyang generals.
, preparing to launch an attack on Yuan Shikai. Qing held a press conference and announced to Chinese and foreign reporters the purpose of protecting the Communist Party. The purpose of protecting the Communist Party was to maintain the republican political system and oppose the monarchy. Yuan Shikai's proclaiming emperor was perverse, and Yuan Shikai was the only one who protected the Communist Party.
, not to replace Beiyang, but to show sincerity, Qiao Yu opened the prisoner-of-war camp to reporters and showed all the prisoners in Beiyang to the world. These prisoners all received good treatment, sufficient food, and doctors to diagnose and treat diseases.
After the press conference, the opinion that they were only anti-Yuan Shikai but not Beiyang spread quickly throughout the country!