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Text Chapter 211 Yan Xishan¡¯s Choice

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    Chapter 211 Yan Xishan¡¯s choice

    The spring snow that filled the north also affected Taiyuan. At noon, there were not many people at the city gate, and the soldiers on guard hid in the gate to warm themselves by the fire.

    After Ma Kui and An Guoliang led their horses into Taiyuan City, they understood why Shanxi merchants were said to be wealthy. They were full of deep houses and compounds with various businesses. There were many merchants on both sides of the street. Although there were few pedestrians, it could not cover up the richness of Taiyuan.  business atmosphere.

    After being injured in the Xiaocangshan raid, An Guoliang seemed to have faded out of the National Defense Forces. In fact, after recovering from his injuries, he was ordered to form the first real cavalry of the National Defense Forces. For this purpose, he went to Sichuan to the northwest to select soldiers.  Because the folk customs in the northwest are strong and the country is vast and sparsely populated, people rely on horses to travel. Therefore, there are many Han people who are skilled in riding.  In the end, two thousand young people were selected, and after a full year of arduous training with hundreds of masters selected from the National Defense Forces, it was not until the beginning of the year that the army was initially formed, becoming the first real cavalry regiment in the National Defense Forces.

    Yang Qiu and the General Staff also spent a lot of effort on this cavalry regiment. Not only did they send people to buy high-quality horses from outside the northwest Great Wall, Xinjiang and other places, they also bought 300 Don River horses from Lake Baiga last summer, specially designed for the Cossack cavalry.  Xikang established a special breeding base, which cost more than a guard division brigade.

    This was the first operation after the formation of the cavalry regiment, and he could not help but feel nervous. He asked: "Commander Ma, do you think Yan Xishan will see us?"

    Ma Kui was also worried. He received a telegram from Hanyang without a wire while camping last night. He was also shocked by the news of Yijun's sudden departure. No matter what Yijun wanted to do, there were at least 30,000 to 40,000 people in this Beiyang peripheral armed force. Even if  Unlike the general staff's prediction of going to the northwest, whether they stay in Henan or Shaanxi, it is a big threat, so they are anxious to see Yan Xishan as soon as possible, and then ensure that the cavalry regiment can move south to Sanmenxia without obstruction.

    The two arrived at the Governor's Mansion quickly. When the guards ran all the way to report, Yan Xishan was sitting in front of the brazier, wearing only a thin jacket. A bowl of old vinegar was placed on the noodles, and he was eating with gusto. Next to him, his confidant adjutant Rong Hong  He was reporting to him one by one what happened during this period.

    The Tianjin incident, the assassination of Song Jiaoren, the renewed struggle between the North and the South, etc. These things seemed far away from Shanxi, but Yan Xishan did not dare to be careless. Compared with the two heroes of the North and the South, he knew that he was not strong enough, so he not only contacted the whole country  Shanxi merchants from various places asked them to send the latest news back to Taiyuan, and also asked Rong Honglu to make a briefing report every day so that he could grasp the latest situation and seek more benefits for himself and Shanxi. So when the guards came to report that Yang Qiu had sent someone  , when it was still Ma Kui, his eyes were clearly full of surprise.

    Since the rise of Yang Qiu, the people around him have been constantly studied. Ma Kui is not as powerful as Xiao Anguo, and he is not as famous as Yue Peng and Song Ziqing. The commander of the Chongqing and Southeast Sichuan Garrison District cannot even be ranked among the front lines of the National Defense Forces, but  Yan Xishan still dare not underestimate him, because he is not only an old man who entered Sichuan with Yang Qiu, but also made great contributions on the night of the uprising. If he had not led a heavy battalion to seize ammunition and rush across the river for reinforcements, it is still unknown whether the National Defense Forces would have appeared, so this person is  Yang Qiu's absolute confidant.

    Rong Honglu was even more surprised. Although he thought that both sides would come to win over him, he didn't expect that such a person would be sent, and so quickly!  So he glanced at the small table and reminded: "Captain, do you want to withdraw first?"

    Yan Xishan shook his head: "No, just bring them in. I can stay awake with this jealous smell."

    Soon Ma Kui and Xiao Anguo met the number one person in Shanxi's military and political affairs. He was wearing a coat, thick noodles and old vinegar. If it weren't for the guards standing around and the magnificent Governor's Mansion, no one would have thought that this was a man.  An important official who holds great power in a province.  However, the two of them will not be fooled by his appearance. They must know that he is not as kind as he appears. As a member of the Democratic Party, he defected to Beiyang after the North-South peace talks. Knowing that Yuan Shikai did not like the Democratic Party, he also contacted the Democratic Party in Shanxi.  The department and personnel took action. If Huang Keqiang and others had not taken the overall situation into consideration, he might have become the "Land Butcher" of Shanxi.  Since the voices of the Beiyang and National Socialist factions have overwhelmingly outweighed the Democratic Party, news has spread more than once that he is quitting the Democratic Party.

    Not only was he skilled in politics, but he was also good at business. After the revolution, Shanxi merchants suffered heavy losses. Almost all local branches were divided up, and dozens of time-honored brands closed down. Faced with this situation, he forcibly brought together the remaining Shanxi merchants and started a business.  Shanxi Bank retained its last vestige of vitality.  After becoming the governor, he attached great importance to the industrial and commercial development of Shanxi.  After 1911, as a force, Shanxi's industrial and commercial development was second only to the southwest and Shanghai. As an inland province, it can surpass the development speed of the coastal areas. In addition to relatively stable official governance, it also shows that he attaches great importance to industry and commerce. Even Yang Qiu said  However, if the foundation was not too weak and Shanxi merchants suffered too much losses, Shanxi would become a major rival in the southwest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about Commander Ma for a long time, and it¡¯s really a blessing for Yan to meet him today¡± Yan XishanHe was so enthusiastic that his eyes were almost lost in laughter. He held Ma Kui's hand and kept saying greetings. After a long time, he glanced at An Guoliang: "Who is this?"

    "An Guoliang, the colonel commander of the First Cavalry Regiment of the National Defense Force, met Governor Yan."

    An Guoliang saluted and said hello, and Yan Xishan also greeted him warmly, but there was a murmur in his heart.  He considered himself to be quite knowledgeable about the National Defense Forces. In addition to the cavalry communication companies in each division and brigade, he was also the first to hear about the existence of an established cavalry regiment.  The National Defense Forces did not adopt the general and colonel positions given by Yuan Shikai, but continued to use their own military rank system. Most of them were majors at the regiment level, lieutenant colonels at the brigade level, and except for a few with the rank of brigadier general such as Yue Peng, the rest were colonels at the division level.

    But he actually holds the rank of colonel!  Except that the cavalry itself is one level higher than the infantry, I am afraid that this sudden cavalry regiment is not that simple.

    After Yan Xishan took the two of them to sit down, he asked with a smile: "I wonder why you two are suddenly interested in coming to Shanxi? We don't have good horses in Shanxi, and we are jealous but there are quite a lot of them." After he finished speaking,  Finally, he deliberately picked up the vinegar bowl and took a sip, hehe said: "I have liked this sour taste for decades, which made you two laugh."

    Ma Kui said with a smile: "Captain Yan cares about his hometown. Along the way, the two of us have seen the orderly development of various places, which shows the merits of the governor. No wonder the inspector also said that Governor Yan is a role model for our generation."

    Of course Yan Xishan would not be deceived by such compliments, but he was quite proud of his governance of Shanxi. He smiled and said: "How can Yan compare to the Inspector? Last time I visited Sheng Yuan, his boss told me that now Hubei and Southwest China  It is changing with each passing day, with more than 20 new factories added every month, and agriculture and railways are also developing rapidly, which really makes me envious."

    It is not surprising that Heshengyuan knew about the development of Southwest China. Shen Shukai was born in Heshengyuan, and the housekeeper of the Governor's Office was also the old boss of Hesheng in Sichuan. Under their inducement, most of the southwest Shanxi merchants have moved to Heshengyuan.  After entering the industry, only a small number of people are still holding on to outdated ticket numbers.

    Ma Kui said: "There is no need to belittle yourself, Governor Yan. In fact, I came to Ma this time on the entrustment of the envoy. I want to talk to you about cooperation matters. Your Excellency hopes to jointly promote the industrial and commercial development of the two places."

    Promote industry and commerce?  Yan Xishan chuckled.  He had already guessed that Yang Qiu would not let Shanxi go. Who made this place too important?  As a Japanese military student studying abroad, he knows very well that Shanxi's coal and iron resources are rich, and its geographical location is even more important. It is a strategic place for entering and exiting the northern part of the Great Wall and containing Zhili. It borders Suiyuan and Chahar to the north and Zhili to the east.  Affiliated to Gyeonggi Province, with the Yellow River to the south and Shaanxi to the west, it is an important passage to and from the northwest. As long as Yang Qiu wants to go north, Shanxi will inevitably become the key to the competition.

    But he didn't dare to agree immediately. Yang Qiu's troops were still in the west of Wusheng Pass. Although Beiyang was severely damaged and public opinion was unanimously in favor of the south, the fundamentals were still there, and those public opinions were in high positions.  He is not even a shit in the eyes of the enemy, so it is still unknown how long it will take for the National Defense Forces to enter Henan. It is not his character to make a decision so early.

    Seeing that he didn't speak for a long time, Ma Kui knew that he had concerns. After all, Shanxi was right under Beiyang's nose, so he simply took out the case he had prepared and said: "The inspector told the two of us before he came that Governor Yan worked hard in managing Shanxi and made great achievements.  So no matter what happens in the future, he will still recommend you as the governor of Shanxi Province. He also heard that banditry has been incessant in Henan and Chahar recently. In view of the insufficient equipment and quantity of the Jin army, he promised to form a local army as long as the governor is willing to join hands.  All funds and equipment for the Sixth Infantry Division of the National Defense are provided by our southwest, and the commander-in-chief can also select young talents from the Jin army to study at the National Defense University."

    Not to mention Rong Honglu swallowing his saliva, even Yan Xishan was very moved after hearing these two conditions.  Not to mention the governor of Shanxi Province, the fact that Southwest funded the formation of the 6th Infantry Division of the National Defense shows that Yang Qiu is very generous!  You must know that forming a division is not as simple as merging several brigades. The command, equipment, officers, etc. all need to be readjusted. According to the known standards of the five main divisions of the National Defense Force, a division not only has three infantry brigades, but also all kinds of artillery.  There are at least 36 guns, and the National Defense Forces have completely phased out old-style cannons and adopted German-made or imitated 75mm tube cannons. Recently, they have begun to manufacture several new cannons, including 105mm heavy cannons.

    ??For any officer who studied in Japan, he had dreamed of commanding a Japanese first-class division. Now the opportunity was in front of him, but he hesitated

    There is no free lunch in this world. Yang Qiuhua has put so much effort into forming a division that cannot be controlled by others. With people like Jiang Baili, Song Ziqing, and perhaps Cai E joining him soon to give him advice, military power will surely slowly be transferred to him.  , that¡¯s why he said he would keep his position as provincial governor, obviously implying that he could only choose one or the other.

    what to do?  Yan Xishan took the opportunity of carrying the tea cup to secretly glance at An Guoliang. He was sure that the other party's cavalry regiment was in Shanxi. It would be easy to hide two to three thousand people in such a huge Shanxi.?, if they don't agreewill they start a war?  !

    This is no joke. Tang Jiyao in the southwest was so powerful that he was defeated and his entire army was wiped out. Lu Rongting said that the king of Guangxi should show Yang Qiu the door obediently. If he refused, even if he could survive this time, in the event of a war between the north and the south, Yang Qiu won.  Do we really want to be like Tang Hualong, whose entire clan was driven overseas to a country where they could not return?

    It¡¯s not okay to agreeIf Beiyang wins in the end, the end will be the same.

    Thinking of this, he actually had an idea in his heart, but he pretended to be silent and said: "To be honest with Commander Ma, Yan had long wanted to visit Wuchang to visit the envoy, but it was a pity that Henan and Shaanxi were upset and could not make the trip."

    Ma Kui could hear the meaning in his words. He was worried that after Shanxi sided with the National Defense Forces, Beiyang would immediately rush in, so he took out the intelligence he had just received last night and said, "Captain, take a look at this first."

    Yan Xishan¡¯s face changed slightly after receiving the information and reading it. Yijun moved!  This peripheral force, tightly held by Jiang Guiti, and regarded by Yuan Shikai as the most important from the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to present, actually marched into Henan to suppress bandits?

    Yijun has long been rotten to the core. There are countless incidents of selling cigarettes and exploiting the base. When Zhao Ti was sent to Shaanxi, he was beaten out of Tongguan by a militia army with more than 10,000 weapons and insufficient weapons. This shows the difference in combat effectiveness.  Only Yuan Shikai would not use this army for the sake of Jiang Guiti. This kind of army suppresses bandits?  Might as well say it's making bandits!

    The question is, will this bandit spread to Shanxi?  This is very possible.

    Yang Qiu is no longer a prince. He has ambitions for the whole country. He will not let the Yi army go to Shaanxi to cause harm to the northwest. His fourth division has been deployed in Guangyuan, Sichuan. As long as there is any movement of the Yi army into Shaanxi, he will definitely send troops to Shaanxi to cut off Baoji.  and Xi'an, forcing them to continue to the northwest.  In this way, Yijun will most likely turn around and enter Jin, and go out of Yulin and Suiyuan. Emperor Tiangao over there is far away and even he wanted to take it down. What's more, Jiang Guiti and Zhao Ti have been working together in collusion, and the former is still in Chahar.  After staying for a while, it is human nature to look for opportunities to go back.

    This shows that Yuan Shikai's control over the army began to weaken, especially those peripheral troops attached to Beiyang.  He shuddered when he thought of tens of thousands of Yijun running around. It was hard to stabilize Shanxi. If Yijun made trouble, who would listen to him in the future?  Don't forget, Yang Qiu used this trick in Guangxi, which made Lu Rongting suffer a heavy loss and won praise from all the people in Guangxi. It's not impossible to do it again.

    Rong Honglu saw that Yan Xishan had been thinking deeply for a long time without saying a word. He quietly bumped into his ear and said, "Captain, is it inappropriate to go either way now?"

    "I know what I know." Yan Xishan quietly replied, returned the information to Ma Kui, and sighed, saying, "We are a poor place in Shanxi and cannot withstand the trouble. But please tell Commander Ma to tell the envoy"  .Someone in Yan supports him."

    Just have this sentence!

    An Guoliang stood up and said: "The Commander-in-Chief understands the righteousness. Our regiment has been ordered to go to Sanmenxia to intercept Yijun. I hope you will allow us to pass."

    Yan Xishan cursed in his heart for allowing him to come even though he was here, but he still admired him for having the courage to block tens of thousands of Yijun troops with one regiment. He stretched his body and winked at Rong Honglu and said: "I remember that I  Is there our supply camp over there in Lu? Go and give me instructions, there have been bandits in Henan recently, don't let the bandits take advantage of the situation and burn the grain!"

    Hearing that he deliberately pointed out the location of the baggage, Ma Kui smiled slightly. Although he was afraid that Yijun would cause harm to Shanxi, it was good to be able to help secretly in this situation. He handed over his hand and said: "We in the southwest will definitely remember the kindness of the governor."

    An Guoliang was even more excited. What he was most worried about along the way was the baggage. As long as he could provide food for the troops one cavalry regiment could turn the whole of Henan upside down!  He immediately saluted and turned away.

    The prelude to the Central Plains War gradually kicked off with the sound of horse hooves

    ¡­¡­

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