The reversal of the battle situation was so sudden. The arrangement and adjustment of Zhang Renjun and Li Jun had just begun, and one bad news came one after another, making the two dizzy, as if they had fallen into the abyss.

From Nanning, nearly 2,000 patrol battalions that reinforced Qinzhou were ambushed and besieged by the rebels in Datang Town. Qin Bingzhi was killed, Guo Renzhang was injured and captured, and the Qing soldiers were almost wiped out. Subsequently, the rebels pretended to withdraw from Qinzhou, and the rebels who were disguised as patrol battalions who rushed to reinforce opened the city gate. They rushed in. Qinzhou was lost, and the new army guarding the city had only more than 300 people fled back...

Shocked, panic, confused, and sad... Zhang Renjun and Li Jun, shrouded in complex emotions, would definitely not have thought that this series of failures was not the crime of war. Guo Renzhang secretly reported the news in advance and surrendered first when he was ambushed, which led to Qin Bingzhi's troops fighting alone, and his morale was in chaos, and then he brought people to make a profit. He can be said to be the director and actor of this drama of defeat.

Although Guo Renzhang made a lot of contributions this time, his revolutionary will was also criticized and destined to be no longer valued in the revolutionary army in the future. For example, he used the excuse of not implicating his family, and did not lead his troops, but instead fought passively and announced it to the public in the name of being injured and captured. For example, when he made a profit, he signed up for Qin Bingzhi and used Qin Bingzhi's seal to gain the trust of the defenders, and did not dare to reveal his true identity...

To abandon family and business, not to fear sacrifice, was the belief held by the revolutionaries at that time. If this was not the case, it would not prove his firmness and could not express his selfless pursuit of the revolutionary cause. Guo Renzhang's behavior would naturally be despised and doubt his loyalty to the revolution.

In the special period of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, there were many special characters like Guo Renzhang, and there were some meanings of "missing the world". If you have to find an explanation for their contradictory behavior in different periods, you might be betting on the spot. Continuously estimate the chance of success and then make a choice.

Therefore, people like Guo Renzhang cannot become loyal hawks and dogs of the Qing court, nor can they become revolutionaries who are determined to be snobbish, fence-bearers, capricious, speculative... It is appropriate to use these words to describe them.

No matter how Guo Renzhang used fraud, it is unquestionable that the Qing army suffered another severe blow in the southwest battlefield, and the consequences were very serious.

First, the large encirclement arranged by the Qing army was pierced by the revolutionary army. If the revolutionary army continues to advance eastward, it can move forward and enter Guangdong; second, the Qing army stationed in Nanning has suffered heavy losses, not only is it unable to counterattack and regain Qinzhou and guard the city, but it also faces serious threats. Finally, it is Zhang Renjun and Li Zhun's future, capital and life, and the crime of losing the city and land. They cannot refuse to blame.

Zhang Renjun was already in his sixties, and the war in the southwest caused him to be exhausted. He suffered another defeat this time. Knowing that the position of governor was difficult to protect, he took the initiative to apologize. At the same time, he ordered Li Zhun to abandon Nanning and withdraw his troops to eastern Guangdong. He organized a new line of defense with the new army to stop the rebels from attacking the hinterland of Guangdong.

In the memorial, Zhang Renjun explained the reason for abandoning Nanning, took the initiative to assume the responsibility of defeat, and asked the court to sue him. He appointed Li Zhun as the admiral of the navy, and Lu Zhan was not the director, so he excused him. He suggested that the court set up a land admiral in Guangdong and recommended the Qiongya army to take up this position. He also transferred the Qiongzhou patrol battalion to Guangdong to participate in the war. He also suggested that the court reuse Chen Wenqiang, "Putting the rebellious party, suppressing bandits and clearing the countryside, and organizing new troops, which was huge. If it were not such a capable and capable person, it would not be possible to set up a foundation."

Obviously, except for not expecting that Chen Wenqiang and Wu Luzhen were revolutionary parties, Zhang Renjun considered everything carefully.

The reason why Wu Luzhen recommended Wu Luzhen to serve as a land admiral was, on the one hand, the excuse of Li Zhun, the navy admiral, and on the other hand, it also facilitated the mobilization of the troops in Qiongzhou. The original admiral Qin Bingzhi was finished, and Zhang Renjun could see clearly that the troops in Qiongzhou were trained by Wu Luzhen, and Chen Wenqiang invested in equipment. The main function was to maintain public order in Qiongzhou and protect Chen Wenqiang's many industries. He had not ordered the transfer before, but he was delayed by Wu Luzhen and Chen Wenqiang using various excuses.

Although he was the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he was short of money and soldiers, and he refused to easily agree to the conditions of Chen and Wu. Zhang Renjun really had no good idea. Now, the war situation in the southwest is in a reversal and overturn. Chen Wenqiang's suppression of bandits and clearing the countryside, and Wu Luzhen attacked the association and the grassroots in Qiongzhou, which basically dispelled Zhang Renjun's concerns. Looking at Guangdong, only the patrol battalion in Qiongzhou still maintains a complete system and has good combat power. If Chen Wenqiang's police force is included, it is also a very strong force.

No matter what method is used to maintain or reverse the situation in the southwest, money and food are the most fundamental conditions. Although Guangdong is rich, the burden assigned by the imperial court is heavy. As the war in the southwest is in progress, the difficulties in the financial situation are getting bigger and bigger.

However, the Qing court kept urging and did not consider the difficulties of Guangdong. For example, the training of the new army, Guangdong reported to the Army Department that "if the Army Department trained two towns in five years, it would be impossible for Guangdong's financial resources to restore the mixed standard first and then slowly expand the organization. The Army Department replied, "It is said that Guangdong Province is rich, and only the two towns are trained in a very small number, and it is not difficult to set up funds for the small amount of money." It also ordered that "one town of new army will be organized within the year, and the remaining towns will continue to recruit and train, and must not be delayed, resulting in long-term and empty defense." Zhang Huaizhi went south to supervise the training of the new army.

Zhang Renjun felt deeply unable to follow this and was unable to complete the hard indicators stipulated by the court. It was a matter of time before Chen Wenqiang took over the task of clearing the countryside and suppressing bandits, not only did he not have to pay the government, but he also had a lot of results and even gained some victory.

What is talent? There are standards for each period. At present, Chen Wenqiang is good at dancing, has good fortune and is good at raising money, which is the most suitable talent.

Since he is a talent, Zhang Renjun naturally wants to recommend it. Firstly, he still holds the concept of loyalty to the emperor and protecting the country, and secondly, he has always made Chen Wenqiang well and made plans for his future. Chen Wenqiang's future is extremely optimistic, and he is young, so time is unlimited!

Based on this consideration, Zhang Renjun not only praised Chen Wenqiang's talent in the memorial, but also urgently summoned Chen Wenqiang back to Guangzhou for consultation. He even felt a little domineering when he wiped out the pirates and did not care about his behavior of overcoming power.

Chen Wenqiang's decisive killing and successively wiped out the pirates in Nan'ao and Raoping, and led his troops to Shantou. He took down Chen Tingxiong, the patrol battalion's leader, at a reception banquet set up by local officials. He also sent troops to surround the patrol battalion's garrison at a speed that was lightning-proof and disarmed all the officers and soldiers of the patrol battalion.

The purge was quick and harsh. After the interrogation and identification, Chen Tingxiong was rectified on the spot and his family property was confiscated; the officers and soldiers of the patrol battalions who were guilty should be killed, the ones who should be custodian should be custodian, and the old and weak were eliminated, and all moved to Qiongzhou for resettlement. At this point, the maritime trade routes were basically stable, and Shantou and Nanao basically fell into the hands of Chen Wenqiang.

Although he was busy outside, Chen Wenqiang had been maintaining contact with the Qiongzhou headquarters through the radio station on the ship, paying attention to the development of the war in the southwest.

Chen Wenqiang breathed a sigh of relief when Fangcheng was restored and the materials were successfully transported. Although the war continued, the Revolutionary Army had a huge amount of supplies and was at least invincible. With the Qing Dynasty patrol battalion and the new army that had not been trained many times. As long as the Beiyang Army did not go south, Chen Wenqiang was still very confident in the continuous growth of the Revolutionary Army.

However, Chen Wenqiang was surprised when the revolutionary army recovered Qinzhou and forced Li Zhun's troops to retreat to Nanning. After receiving Zhang Renjun's urgent call, he thought for a long time and handed over the aftermath to his subordinates and quickly returned to Guangzhou. Before returning to Guangzhou, he took a boat to Qiongya and wanted to discuss the next strategy with Wu Luzhen and others.

Wu Luzhen and Wan Fuhua were both surprised by Chen Wenqiang's sudden return and concerns about the revolutionary army's actions. But after Chen Wenqiang carefully analyzed it, he also felt that something seemed to make sense.

"The revolutionary army's offensive against Guangdong can slow down or change the direction of the attack." On the way, Chen Wenqiang's idea was clear. He believed that the disadvantages outweighed the benefits. "Old Wu was recommended as a land admiral and was ordered to lead troops into Guangdong, which means that Guangdong has no threat to the revolutionary army. If he continues to attack Guangdong, the prosperous land becomes a battlefield, I don't think it will be the most favorable result. Now the sea outlet is available. The threat to the east can be ignored. The revolutionary army should concentrate its efforts to the north and expand to the west, and use Yunnan and Guangxi as the main battlefield."

"Wen Qiang, are you worried that the revolutionary army will plunder Guangdong, but you cannot hold it firmly. In the tug-of-war, they will destroy Guangdong's wealthy land?" Wan Fuhua asked in confusion: "Do you think that Lao Wu served as the land admiral of Guangdong and has mastered the military power of Guangdong, so that Guangdong can go down without fighting in the future?"

"It is entirely possible to go down without fighting." Chen Wenqiang pondered for a moment and said, "Guangdong's patrol battalions and the new army have been successively transferred, and the police force will become the force that all parts of Guangdong rely on. After Lao Wu gradually controls the army and takes control of the military power, as long as he acts in concert with the Revolutionary Army, he will be able to enter and restore Guangdong without spending too much money."

"Guangdong's status is very important and has a great influence. Before the strength of the revolutionary army reaches a certain level, Wen Qiang's concerns make sense." Wu Luzhen looked at the map and drew a line in eastern Guangdong, saying: "I think this line can be used as a boundary for the time being. It can not only maintain pressure on Guangdong on the surface, but also mobilize troops to attack Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou areas, and gradually eliminate the threat from the north and west. After all, there are still tens of thousands of Qing troops there. If they do not annihilate or weaken them, they will have to fight for successive battles after attacking Guangdong."

"Yes, that's what I mean." Chen Wenqiang nodded repeatedly and said: "In current military operations, I think the elimination of the enemy should be put first and the occupation of territory should be considered secondary. Moreover, if you are entrenched in one or two provinces as the basis, try not to have a province like Guangdong that has a great influence. The local soldiers in Guangxi have proved their excellence, so they should focus on stabilizing their foundation here, recruiting troops here, and expanding their strength."

"Fangcheng, Qinzhou has been restored, and the opening of the external channel has actually met the strategic intention of the General Staff." Wu Luzhen's tone stated that he could agree with Chen Wenqiang's opinion. After all, the situation has reversed, and with his appointment, he has taken over the military power of the Qing army in his hands, and there is really hope that he will not fight.

From a military perspective, the revolutionary army now attacks Guangdong. Although it can restore large areas, it is suspected of severing the troops. Before the Qing army in the north and northwest was severely damaged, the larger the territory it was restored, the more troops it needed to defend, which would have an impact on the tactical principles of concentrating superior forces and defeating the Qing army.

"Will the fighter plane be delayed after the siege of Guangdong be delayed?" Wan Fuhua still had a doubt that he had not dispelled and asked with a frown, "If Guangdong takes the opportunity to vigorously train the new army, will it pose a threat to our army?"

"It takes money to train a new army, and weapons and equipment, so it is not that easy." Chen Wenqiang curled his lips slightly sarcastically, "Zhang Renjun has revealed the fact that he recommended me to the Qing court. The reason is very simple, because I can get money and have an arsenal in hand. He thinks very beautifully, but will I spend money to train an army that may become an enemy? Lao Wanna, don't worry, I will only pay for the training of a new army if it is beneficial to us or if we can actually master it."

"By Wenqiang's methods, the new army trained will be the reserve revolutionary army." Wu Luzhen was quite relieved and patted Chen Wenqiang's shoulder and smiled: "Zhang Renjun, he has made a good plan, but he can't count you, right?"

"The country needs a new type of army. Even after the success of the revolution, enriching the country and strengthening the army is our unchanging goal." Chen Wenqiang smiled faintly and said, "Since the task of compiling the new army is entrusted to us, the Qing court should not expect that the new army they trained will be their force to maintain their rule."

"Since you are so sure, I don't object." Wan Fuhua thought for a while and said, "From Qiongzhou to Guangdong, such development is of course a victory. Lao Wu served as the land admiral, and Wen Qiang controlled the police in the province. Guangdong is almost in his pocket, and it doesn't matter if he takes it later."

"It has always been my principle to win the greatest victory at the smallest price." Chen Wenqiang paused and smiled bitterly: "This is probably contrary to the tremendous expectations of many people, but the country is poor and weak, and people live in a difficult situation, so it is better to have less turmoil!"

"We don't understand your thoughts after getting along for such a long time?" Wu Luzhen nodded and said comfortingly: "Who dares to say that you are not loyal to the revolution enough to do so much to push the revolution to this level? Well, the order will be issued immediately in the name of the General Staff, and the specific ideas will be reported to Mr. Song by secret telegram. It will show that this is the result of our collective discussion."

"Yes, this is not your personal opinion, it is the crystallization of collective wisdom." Wan Fuhua also smiled and echoed: "Although the Revolutionary United Front will establish a committee, the military command is still under the responsibility of the General Staff!"

……………(To be continued.)
Chapter completed!