The Anti-Japanese War Begins with the Northeast Army

Whoever leads the troops to charge forward will only be asking for trouble, right?
So no matter whether it was Cao Saner or the Marshal, after receiving Xu Shichang's telegram, they all chose to blame each other.

Zhang Yuting ordered Zhang Zuoxiang to enter the pass to attend the meeting, and nominated Wu Peifu, who had made great military achievements, as the highest commander to support Kulun;
However, Wu Peifu firmly rejected this idea and said that based on the geographical advantage, the Fengtian Army occupying Rehe should be the main force.

Zhang Zuoxiang replied in accordance with the Marshal's order that the Chinese Eastern Railway in Northeast China still needed to be protected. Once the main forces of the Kwantung Army on the Sino-North Korean border and the Japanese troops defending Fengtian and Heilongjiang provinces were transferred, there might be changes in the Soviet Army on the Northeast border and the Japanese.

Just as the quarrel between the two groups became more and more fierce, the White Army, whose numbers had increased sharply and who had received supplies, suddenly launched an attack on Chahar, and most of the territory fell into their hands.

Now, not only the Chahar garrison was anxious, but the capital was even more anxious.

Not only that, the defenses in Suiyuan and Rehe could no longer withstand the pressure.

In just one month, the White Army of several thousand men had grown into a force of 20,000, and had been marching towards Chahar one after another.

"More than 20,000 people! Is that a reliable number?"

Jiang Cheng licked his lips and became nervous. "Chahar is a small area, and there are many uninhabited deserts. Do we really need 20,000 people?"

Zhang Zuoxiang also slapped his thigh and said, "Ah, that's what you said! The current situation has suddenly escalated, and Suiyuan and Rehe have become more tense--"

"Since April this year, your father has been on alert for war, especially in several districts and counties adjacent to Chahar, which are on strict alert."

Jiang Cheng lowered his brows and thought, then nodded slowly: When the Anhui clique sent troops to Chahar, they had already recovered Outer Mongolia thanks to Xu Shuzheng's efforts.

However, with the outbreak of the Zhi-An War, Xu Shuzheng was forced to transfer the main force stationed in Outer Mongolia to the interior to participate in the war, leaving only a mixed brigade with two regiments and ordinary equipment in Kulun, the central area of ​​Outer Mongolia.

Obviously, the Russians had received information that the main force was withdrawing, so they kept on making provocations in various border areas.

Haha, it’s true. As soon as we show the slightest sign of weakness, these external forces come.

"Before...wasn't it the Soviet army?"

Yan Ziwen's words interrupted Jiang Cheng's thoughts. "I remember Uncle Jiang said that a small Soviet exploratory force was found near Rehe. How come it became the White Army?"

"Is the intelligence wrong, or——"

Jiang Cheng took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed one to each of them. Then he took out a match and lit it for them. Finally, he grabbed the match that was about to burn out and lit the one in his own mouth.

He took a long puff, then smiled playfully while holding the cigarette in his right hand: "So-called international relations, don't they still rely on power to maintain them?"

"To be honest, there is not much to gain in Chahar. They must be targeting the interior... And no matter whether it is the Soviet Army, the White Army or the Mongolian Army, aren't they all taking advantage of every opportunity?"

"The only thing I find funny is that he always calls himself a 'patriotic general' and often uses the 'patriotic banner' to talk nonsense. He likes to call others traitors, while he himself fights for China and fights for the dignity of his countrymen—"

"Now he is asked to lead the army to recover the northern border, but he keeps shirking his responsibilities... When he was fighting the Fengtian Army in Shandong, he never fought a single battle with the Japanese pirates he hated."

Yan Ziwen also curled his lips: "That's not good. Such a patriotic person doesn't fight against foreign enemies, but instead is extremely enthusiastic about starting a civil war."

Hearing what his two sons-in-law said, Zhang Zuoxiang shook his head and smiled bitterly: "That's what he said, and Wu Peifu's actions are indeed inconsistent, but those 20,000 soldiers have invaded Chahar, if we really don't take action——"

Yan Ziwen scratched his hair and said, "Dad, there is no point in saying these things to us, right? We should first see what the commander-in-chief thinks before deciding whether to send troops." Jiang Cheng, with a cigarette in his mouth, leaned back slowly, raised his chin slightly and looked back at Yan Ziwen, then turned his gaze to Zhang Zuoxiang.

Even you know this truth. As the assistant commander of the Fengtian Army, how could you not understand it?

Jiang Cheng lowered his eyes and put the cigarette into the ashtray: "Dad, you ran into a snag in front of Master Shuai, didn't you?"

Looking back at this shrewd and powerful son-in-law, Zhang Zuoxiang was at a loss for words.

During the month-long tug-of-war in the talks, people in the capital said all kinds of things, but no one took the ongoing war seriously.

But the enemy will not stop invading China just because they have not reached a conclusion.

Over the past month, not only has Chahar suffered heavy losses, but the two provinces of Rehe and Suiyuan have also been under tremendous pressure.

The day after he returned from the capital, he went to see his boss. In addition to reporting the meeting process in which nothing was discussed, Zhang Zuoxiang also suggested that the Marshal send troops to Chahar.

But what the veteran didn't expect was that his "patriotic and territorial" speech actually attracted a scolding from the Northeast King: "Fuck you, you are so anxious to send troops to the north, go and get yourself killed, don't take us with you!"

Zhang Zuoxiang looked embarrassed: "Yes - but Feilan, seeing Chahar losing troops and losing territory, Rehe is under great pressure now."

"I am worried that if the White Army takes advantage, the Soviet Army and other forces will take advantage of the situation."

He looked back at his son-in-law and finally said the second half of the sentence, "Feilan, you...won't you consider sending troops to help your father?"

Jiang Cheng raised his head.

"Help? How?"

He put one hand on his face and said with a smile, "Dad, actually we can understand what handsome man means--"

"In fact, my thoughts are similar to Wu Peifu's. We are both worried about losing troops and generals and losing bargaining chips to fight against the enemy... Moreover, if Rehe or the Northeast sends troops, it may attract foreign enemies!"

"Aren't you afraid that this group of White Army will not attack the Central Plains in the end, but come to our Northeast instead?"

Zhang Zuoxiang was shocked.

He and Yan Ziwen looked back at Jiang Cheng in a daze, and asked in unison: "What do you mean?"

Jiang Cheng laughed: "Dad, don't you think it's a bit strange that this group of white soldiers came?"

"My third brother-in-law also said before that no matter whether it was my father or Chahar, they all found that the Russians were causing trouble on their own territory."

"But none of them have ever encountered the White Army - especially Ungern, who is under the banner of autonomy. It's more like he suddenly jumped out of the cracks of the stone."

Zhang Zuoxiang was stunned. Why did the topic come back again? But just as he opened his mouth to speak, Jiang Cheng suddenly took over the second half of the sentence and said coldly: "I suspect that this Eun-geum has other forces behind her!"

"It's very likely that they are the devils!" (End of this chapter)