Newborn 1927

In Yang Jiefang's view, this so-called Central Plains War was protracted. Over a million troops from both sides were frequently mobilized for more than two months without any large-scale fighting. By May 1st, Chiang Kai-shek publicly swore an oath to punish Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang, yet the two sides still hadn't formally clashed. Meanwhile, Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang telegraphed Yang Jiefang, inviting him to a meeting in Xinxiang. Xinxiang was Yang Jiefang's territory, and a meeting there showed their sincerity. Yang Jiefang did not refuse and immediately flew to Xinxiang.

On May 3, Yang Jiefang formally met with Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang. Their intentions were clear: to win Yang Jiefang over. Yan Xishan said meaningfully, “Brother Yang, I know Chiang Kai-shek must have made many promises to you, but don’t believe them! Before the Second Northern Expedition, he had just returned to power and was short of funds. I sold everything I owned to scrape together 5 million silver dollars for him. He promised to repay it after the victory of the Northern Expedition. But to this day, I haven’t seen him repay a single silver dollar. My expenses are also considerable! Last year, I couldn’t keep going and requested to issue government bonds, but he ruthlessly refused. Such a person has no credibility whatsoever; you must be very careful!”

Yang Jiefang replied, "Please rest assured, Brother Yan! My money didn't come from thin air, he won't be able to borrow a single silver dollar from me."

Yan Laoxi said, "Brother Yang, did you not understand what I meant? Jiang is untrustworthy, and his promises to you are worthless. Old Feng and I are honest people, and our promises stand. I appoint you as the deputy commander of the three armies, which means you are a deputy commander with both power and authority. I guarantee it will be done without fail. As for how much territory you want, the three of us brothers can discuss it."

Yang Jiefang replied, "I trust Brother Yan's words. I'm too young to handle a high position or manage too large a territory. I think things are fine as they are now."

Feng Yuxiang interjected, "Brother Yang, I agree that you are not a member of the Kuomintang and are unwilling to get involved in party-controlled affairs. You must also know that I have always advocated for popular politics and opposed personal dictatorship. If we cannot defeat this dictator militarily, we cannot achieve true democracy. I think you don't want our country to be controlled by a dictator either, right? A dictator will not share power with the people, much less tolerate a potential threat existing in the world. You have achieved so much at such a young age. Old Yan and I are optimistic about you and hope you will one day lead China. But the dictator will not think that way! He will definitely try every means to eliminate you, this potential threat. If you don't choose to stand with us today, you will have to face him alone in the future."

Yang Jiefang had to admit that Feng Yuxiang's words made a lot of sense. He had also been preparing to face Chiang Kai-shek alone in the future. Having come this far, Yang Jiefang had to make a move. He said, "My two brothers, I'll say it again: the issue of party intelligence is a matter of internal party disagreement; I won't interfere. How about this? I'll keep an eye on someone for you."

The two men asked simultaneously, "Who?" Yang Jiefang replied, "The Young Marshal Zhang from the Northeast." They exchanged a glance, seemingly puzzled. Yang Jiefang explained, "Don't believe his declaration of neutrality! That's just a ruse. He will definitely join the war, and he'll choose to join Chiang Kai-shek's camp. He's just waiting for an opportunity, waiting until you and Chiang Kai-shek's Central Army are exhausted, then he'll enter the pass and seize the spoils. I'll keep an eye on him and prevent him from entering the pass and causing trouble, so you can focus all your efforts on heading south. The outcome will depend on the strength of both sides!"

The two men exchanged a glance. They knew perfectly well that Zhang Xueliang, the young marshal of Northeast China, was plotting to reap the benefits. They even suspected that Yang Jiefang was thinking the same thing.

Yan Laoxi asked, "How do you plan to keep an eye on him?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Our troops will be rotated. I will move my troops to eastern Hebei to block the Northeast Army's passage into the pass. You will move your 100,000 troops gathered in the Beijing-Tianjin area south to southern Shandong. Your supplies can pass through my defense zone at will. I will not make things difficult for you!"

Yang Jiefang refused to join the anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance because he knew the outcome of this great battle; even with his participation, he might not be able to change it. In today's world, besides Chiang Kai-shek, who could defeat him?

Yan Xishan hesitated. He didn't fully trust Yang Jiefang, and sending 100,000 troops south alone was unwise. Another point was that he was reluctant to abandon Beijing and Tianjin.

Feng Yuxiang agreed, saying, "If Yisheng is transferred to the southern Shandong region, we can launch simultaneous attacks on the Longhai Railway and the Jinpu Railway, and seize Xuzhou in one fell swoop."

Yan Xishan said, "Let me think about it." His need to consider meant he disagreed, making it difficult for the meeting to reach a resolution. However, the two men didn't come away empty-handed. Yang Jiefang clearly stated he wouldn't side with Chiang Kai-shek and even agreed to allow them to procure military supplies in Shandong. The three talked for a day, seemingly strengthening their relationship. The next day, Yan Xishan and Feng Yuxiang traveled south to Zhengzhou to begin military deployments.

After returning to Jinan, Yang Jiefang immediately summoned Ye Ting and Qu Tongfeng to the military headquarters. Yang Jiefang said, "You are all aware of the current situation. Both sides have a million troops, and war could break out at any time. While both sides are preoccupied with other matters, I want to reorganize the troops. Regardless of which side we join in the future, we must first be strong enough ourselves."

Ye Ting asked, "How do you want to reorganize?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Change brigades to divisions. Reorganize the troops into seven infantry divisions. Each division will consist of four infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, one supply regiment, one engineer regiment, and one tank battalion. There will be no brigades under the divisions."

Qu Tongfeng saw through the ruse and said, "You're comparing this to Japanese divisions. What? Are you considering the Japanese army as a hypothetical enemy?" Yang Jiefang vehemently denied it, saying, "I'm not comparing it to anyone. I just feel that the current organization of the domestic army is somewhat chaotic. Some units use a division with three regiments, some use a division with two brigades or a brigade with two regiments, and some use a division with three brigades. Most infantry divisions are just pure infantry divisions, lacking the support of auxiliary branches. The number of personnel in a division also varies from five or six thousand to fifteen or sixteen thousand. It's difficult to define the tactical role of such a division. I believe that an infantry division, as a tactical group with independent combat capabilities, must achieve multi-service coordinated operations. If it weren't for the shortage of horses, I would also like to establish a cavalry regiment in each division to adapt to complex battlefield environments."

Ye Ting asked, "Shouldn't such a division have ten or twenty thousand men?" Yang Jiefang replied, "About that. My idea is that one division can fight against an entire corps of other units."

Qu Tongfeng said, "Wouldn't such a division be too large? Sometimes using a regiment is not enough, while using a division is too much." Yang Jiefang said, "If this situation really occurs, I can form some mixed brigades to adapt to the needs of war."

The two had no objections, and Yang Jiefang continued, "The current seven infantry brigades will be directly reorganized into seven infantry divisions. However, each division is still missing an infantry regiment, and some divisions are missing an artillery regiment, so they need to be replenished in time."

Qu Tongfeng said, "The problem isn't the number of soldiers, but the lack of officers. The current batch of cadets at the army academy hasn't graduated yet." Yang Jiefang immediately said, "My idea is to graduate them early, whether they're in the intermediate or advanced class, so they can enter the army ahead of time and be baptized by the flames of war on the battlefield." Qu Tongfeng and Ye Ting exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time, saying, "With a major war approaching, this is the only way."

接下来就是商议具体的编制。步兵方面，没什么好说的。炮兵团的火力进一步得到了加强。由原来的三十六门火炮增加到了四十门。拥有了24门85毫米野战炮、12门105毫米野战加农炮、4门122毫米加榴炮。

The reorganization is planned to be completed within a month, and the troops will also be re-equipped. The entire newly reorganized Fourth Army will consist of seven infantry divisions, one cavalry division, and one guard brigade. The railway garrison regiment stationed along the Baoji and Tianshui line in Shaanxi will also be officially renamed a garrison brigade. It's just a name change; there are no plans to replace the equipment for the time being.

Just as Yang Jiefang was reorganizing his troops, the two sides finally went to war. On May 11, the Central Army Headquarters issued a general attack order, launching a three-pronged attack on various units of the Northwest Army. The fighting was fierce from the very beginning, and the unreliable nature of the army was quickly revealed.

Han Fuqu, the commander-in-chief of the Third Route Army of the Central Army, was originally the chairman of Henan Province. Under the pretext of preventing the southward advance of the Shandong Army (i.e., the Shandong Liberation Army) and the Jin Army, he withdrew his troops to the northern Jiangsu region. Ostensibly, this was to defend the north of Xuzhou, but in reality, it was to preserve his strength. Chiang Kai-shek, of course, saw through his intentions, but at this time he was powerless to blame him. He ordered his elite First and Second Route Armies to advance along the Longhai Railway and the Pinghan Railway, respectively.

On the anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance side, He Jian, the commander-in-chief of the Seventh Route Army, had long since sided with Chiang Kai-shek and became part of the Central Army's Fourth Route Army. The later-added Eighth Route Army, commanded by Fan Zhongxiu, organized the Henan Army in Xuchang. When the Central Army sent planes to bomb the area, Fan Zhongxiu not only refused to evade but also pointed at the planes and cursed them, resulting in his death in the bombing. Liu Maoen defected and lured the newly appointed Henan Provincial Chairman, Wan Xuancai, into a trap. Sun Dianying led his troops to hide in Bozhou, refusing to engage in battle.

The Central Army, having achieved initial success, intensified its attacks. The Northwest Army displayed formidable fighting power. The two sides fought fiercely for over ten more days, with the Central Army suffering heavy losses; Chiang Kai-shek nearly escaped capture at Zhuji Railway Station. By early June, the Central Army was wavering across the board and retreated significantly. On the Hunan battlefield, the Guangxi Army successively captured Changsha and Yueyang. The overall strategic situation was extremely unfavorable for the Central Army.

At this time, the Shandong branch of the People's Liberation Army had completed a new round of reorganization and re-equipment. Seeing the flames of war raging across the Central Plains, military commanders at various levels were eager to fight and seize territory. Yang Jiefang consulted Ye Ting to analyze the war situation. Ye Ting consistently advocated advancing south along the Jinpu Railway. Given the current situation, if the PLA went all out, it could easily reach the Yangtze River and bring the Jianghuai region under its control.

Yang Jiefang said, "Brother Xiyi, the Jin army has 100,000 troops assembled in the Pingjin area. If our main force moves south at this time, what will happen to Shandong?" Ye Ting frowned and said, "Once we participate in the war against Chiang Kai-shek, the Jin army will be our ally. Don't you trust them?" Yang Jiefang replied, "We have no allies. I don't trust anyone except ourselves. At this time, the Jin army should be the one to go south with all its might. Fu Zuoyi's troops are not going south, which shows that they don't trust me either and are full of suspicion." Ye Ting nodded slightly, agreeing with Yang Jiefang's statement. Once Fu Zuoyi's entire army moves south, the entire Pingjin area will be empty, which would be a piece of meat in Yang Jiefang's mouth.

Yang Jiefang then asked, "Brother Xiyi, could you analyze how the battlefield situation will develop if we continue to remain neutral with the Northeast Army?" Ye Ting replied without hesitation, "If Fu Zuoyi's troops don't move south in time, the anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance's offensive will be powerless, and defeat is only a matter of time." Yang Jiefang said, "Tell me your reasons."

Ye Ting analyzed, "Warfare is all about logistics. The Central Army currently has ample logistical support. Although it suffered a temporary setback, it hasn't fundamentally damaged its strength and can regroup for another battle. The anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance, on the other hand, is in a different situation. The Guangxi Army and the Northwest Army are notoriously short of supplies and poorly equipped. Their reserves have been almost depleted in the recent fighting. The Northwest Army can still get some supplies from Yan Xishan. But it's much harder for the Guangxi Army. They've fought their way from Guangxi to Yueyang, stretching their supply lines too long. Even if Li Zongren had ample supplies, it would be difficult to transport them, especially since he himself is also short of supplies. Without a navy..." With limited coordination with the air force, capturing Wuhan was difficult, and the Guangxi Army's offensive came to an end. In fact, the wisest choice for the anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance was for the Shanxi Army to advance south along the Jinpu Railway, tying down the main force of the Central Army; and for the Northwest Army to advance south along the Pinghan Railway, joining forces with the Guangxi Army in Wuhan. Then, they could attack Nanjing from the west and north. However, according to our intelligence, the Northwest Army not only did not advance south along the Pinghan Railway, but continued eastward. Strategic errors cannot be compensated for by one or two tactical victories. Perhaps the Northwest Army can win a couple more battles, but once it shows signs of weakness, it will be completely routed, with no chance of recovery.

Yang Jiefang naturally trusted Ye Ting's judgment and pressed further, "Since you can predict that the anti-Chiang Kai-shek alliance will inevitably fail, why did you still try to join them?" Ye Ting replied, "Because with our participation, the situation can be reversed. Of course, the premise is that you can sincerely cooperate with them." Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "I don't want to be screwed over by these incompetent teammates. Analyze it again! What should we do next to best benefit us?"

Ye Ting knew that Yang Jiefang's ultimate goal was to head north and occupy Beijing and Tianjin, avoiding a direct confrontation with Chiang Kai-shek. He pondered for a moment and said, "Yan Xishan, that miser, is definitely unwilling to relinquish the Beijing-Tianjin region. Unless the situation escalates to the point where Fu Zuoyi's troops must be mobilized to fight south, it won't be easy to take Beijing and Tianjin." Yang Jiefang said, "Then we'll wait patiently, waiting for Old Man Yan to come begging. Brother Xiyi, please have you and Chief of Staff Qu formulate a battle plan in advance. When the time is right, I will not only seize Beijing, Tianjin, and eastern Hebei, but also prevent the Northeast Army from entering the pass and reaping the benefits." Ye Ting smiled wryly. He was helpless with someone who only wanted to take advantage and was unwilling to take risks, and replied, "Alright!"

History books only briefly mention the Central Plains War, and Yang Jiefang only knew that the Northeast Army's entry into the pass greatly helped Chiang Kai-shek, but he didn't know the specific details. Now, with Ye Ting's analysis and judgment, he had a better understanding. So, he telegraphed his divisions and regiments, instructing them to wait patiently for a favorable opportunity.