People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

Ma Yuanqing's telegram to the whole country was indeed a prelude to subsequent events.

This was the arrangement made for him by the Japanese.

They wanted Ma Yuanqing to play the victim and gain public sympathy, thereby muddying the waters.

As long as the focus of public opinion is not entirely on the Japanese army's entry into the Northwest.

That leaves room for maneuver.

As for the Nanjing government's mediation of the war in the Northwest, which led to the Sichuan army's cessation of hostilities, it was indeed as Lin Yi had predicted. It was impossible for the Japanese army to give up the opportunity to enter the Northwest.

The oil resources in the Northwest are extremely important.

Furthermore, the various minerals recently discovered are resources that the Japanese desperately need.

Now that things have started, there's no going back.

Their purpose has been exposed, and Ma Yuanqing is no saint. If given a chance to catch his breath, it's not impossible for him to turn on them without mercy.

Not to mention, even after things calm down, Nanjing will not remain inactive.

The two sides might just start to collude.

So an infantry regiment that had already crossed Chahar lightly equipped was now on a forced march to save time.

They aimed to reach the Northwest before Nanjing intervened in the war, thus creating a fait accompli.

Only when we reach this point can we truly say that we have completely seized the initiative...

"Therefore, we cannot allow them to enter the Northwest, at least not until we control Jinzhou."

On the front lines in Longnan, Lin Yi, a cigarette between his fingers, shared his thoughts.

"I'm afraid the troops along the way won't dare to attack the Japanese army."

Yang Zihui, who was also present, shook her head, a hint of worry on her face.

"The National Government's attitude is obvious; they will definitely prioritize negotiations and will not resort to force before reaching a conclusion."

"As for Yan Baichuan along the way, he is a miser. As long as no one covets his territory in Shanxi Province, he will just stand by and watch."

"Logically, even if the Japanese army was on a normal march, they should have entered Suiyuan territory by now."

"But there's been no movement so far, so it's basically a done deal."

As she spoke, Yang Zihui sighed, "Once they leave Suiyuan, unless the National Government's troops in Shaanxi Province are mobilized, no one can stop them."

He shook his head as he finished speaking, then looked up at Lin Yi and said, "Brother Lin, we need to prepare for the worst."

Yang Zihui couldn't say for sure what the worst-case scenario was.

The Nationalist government ordered them to withdraw their troops, and all their previous investments were wasted.

However, if he were to engage in battle with the Japanese, Yang Zihui, though unwilling, had to admit that his Sichuan army would probably be no match for them.

Although the troops under his command are now vastly different from what they used to be.

But all I can do is talk to these people right in front of me.

He had little confidence when facing the well-equipped and well-trained Japanese army.

Most importantly, with Ma Yuanqing's cavalry cooperating with the Japanese in battle, just thinking about it made him feel troubled.

There's a real possibility that our troops could be completely wiped out in the Northwest.

"Yes, you can't rely on others."

Lin Yi shook his head with a wry smile and said, "So, we can only rely on ourselves."

Then he looked at Sun Zhongneng, who had been silent, and said, "Brother Zhongneng, what are your thoughts?"

Sun Zhongneng raised his head and asked, "Mr. Lin, do you intend to launch a surprise attack on Jinzhou for a quick victory, or do you want to stop the Japanese and buy some time?"

"I don't understand military affairs, so it doesn't matter which one we choose. What's important is getting things done."

"Use whichever option has the highest probability of success."

Hearing Lin Yi say this, Yang Zihui also turned her gaze to Sun Zhongneng.

After winning consecutive victories and capturing Longnan City, Sun Zhongneng's elite troops, though not withdrawing back to Sichuan Province, did not participate in any further battles.

Yang Zihui had no complaints about this.

Besides his original plan to feign weakness, the most crucial factor was his self-awareness.

Brother Lin spent a lot of money on this battle.

We shouldn't let the other party pay both money and effort.

However, given the current situation, it is indeed necessary to utilize Sun Zhongneng's elite force.

At this moment, Sun Zhongneng listened to Lin Yi's words and gave his answer without the slightest hesitation: "Then I choose the army that will block the Japanese."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked to the military map that had just been hung up.

This is his inventory.

The map is small, only about 1.5 meters square.

It encompasses the entire territory of China, including Outer Mongolia.

He first drew a circle around Suiyuan with his hand and said, "According to Commander Yang's analysis just now, the Japanese army is in the Suiyuan area."

"What is certain is that the reason they passed through Suiyuan was because they were certain that Yan Baichuan would choose to turn a blind eye and watch them pass through."

"But they definitely won't go through Shaanxi Province. If they really take that step, Nanjing will have no choice but to fight, even if they don't intend to fight."

"Therefore, combined with the terrain, it is easy to determine the next marching route of the Japanese."

As he spoke, Sun Zhongneng slowly traced his finger from Suiyuan toward the northwest.

"If they want to buy time, then the only option is to take the route between Talat and the Islamic League, which is the shortest route."

"This line is surrounded by desert and sandy land to the south and north, and the narrowest passable area in the middle is no more than fifty kilometers."

"At this distance, it is relatively easy to track their movements."

“We don’t need to intercept them. We can easily slow them down by constantly harassing them in this narrow strip of land.”

"The best part is that even if they successfully cross this line, we will still have a chance to stop them next."

As he spoke, Sun Zhongneng's finger continued to slide northwest, finally stopping at the ancient city of Zhongning.

"The ancient city of Zhongning guards the Yellow River."

"Going east across the Yellow River is the border of Shaanxi Province."

"To the west lies the Tengger Desert."

"Therefore, as long as we take Zhongwei and hold the city, we can guard the northwest gate and stop the Japanese army here."

Yang Zihui really didn't know the terrain in this area.

He stood up, stepped forward, looked at it for a moment, and frowned, saying, "Brother Zhongneng, what if the Japanese manage to bypass the Tengger Desert?"

Sun Zhongneng chuckled: "Impossible, because there's no way to get around it."

"The Tengger Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert are connected. If you want to take a detour, you have to go through Outer Mongolia."

"But then, it won't be two thousand kilometers away from Jinzhou anymore."

"Leaving aside whether their supplies can last, even if they have a smooth journey, it will probably take them more than a month to reach Jinzhou."

As he spoke, Sun Zhongneng drew an oval: "This entire area is a desolate desert, rarely visited by humans."

"It's impossible to get through."

Hearing this, Yang Zihui suddenly realized and a smile appeared on her face: "If that's the case, then the crux of the problem lies in Zhongning Ancient City."

"Once we take this place, it will be no different from the battle plan we have just formulated."

As he spoke, he measured the distance to Zhongning and frowned slightly: "It's a bit far. Even with a forced march, it would probably take seven to eight days to get there."

"Plus the siege, there's not enough time."