The end of the battle for Yunzhong was supposed to be the starting point for a great war, but to everyone's surprise, although hundreds of thousands of troops gathered around Yunzhong Fucheng, the Northern Army and the Duodun Army seemed to be at a loss. He seemed to have lost his spirit and never started a provocation. Even the army that besieged Yunzhong Fucheng took the initiative to retreat, which surprised Kamapov, who was stationed in Yunzhong Fucheng and fought against the odds.
However, this does not mean that the clouds of war will dissipate. Not only have the coalition forces in the Yunzhong area not been reduced, but Cangzhou in the south is also covered with war clouds. The First Army and the two independent divisions have slowly been pushed to the Cangzhou line. , the entire war situation presents a suffocating confrontation, and this indicates that if the war does not break out, once it breaks out, it will be as explosive as a river bursting its banks and a volcano erupting. This will be a war sweeping the entire northern part of the empire.
The most embarrassing role is none other than the Imperial City Guard Corps, the Fourteenth Army Corps, and the remaining two divisions of the Fourth Army Corps stationed in the western edge of Zhongzhou. As the battle for Yunzhong unfolds, even a fool knows that King Qin The hatred between His Highness and His Highness King Yan will only get deeper and deeper, and the nominal emperor of the empire seems to be powerless to do anything about it. Apart from some feeble shouts and meaningless persuasion, the entire empire seems to be unable to do anything to deal with it. Measures and suggestions to help in this war. And this is also an endless battle of life and death. Whoever loses will not only lose the country, but may even end up dead with no body intact.
The tendencies of the several major armed groups entrenched in the edge of Zhongzhou that should belong to the center of the empire are very important at this time. No matter which side they join, they may have an unexpected impact on the entire war situation. And they also know that once they stand in the wrong team, they are afraid that the final outcome will be tragic as well. However, the confusing situation also makes it impossible to clearly see the development of the situation. Even the most sober military scholars are unable to predict who will win the final victory once this war breaks out. There are many unpredictable variables in this process.
The most important armed group among them is probably the Imperial City Guard Corps, which has returned to its original garrison in Zhongzhou. As a veteran who has experienced many wars and countless political struggles, Yusuf is both politically and militarily powerful. His sophistication and experience made both sides regard him as the main target to fight for at the beginning. However, the outbreak of the Jinzhong Incident made Xijiang begin to have a deep sense of distrust towards this wallflower. Although the fight on the surface was still not successful, There has been no change, but both Yusuf and the Western Xinjiang party realize that it is impossible to resolve the gap caused by the Jinzhong Incident in a short time. But this does not mean that the City Guard Corps will immediately fall into the arms of the Northern Army. At least the City Guard Corps can still use the name of the army directly under the central empire as a guise, and use this excuse to avoid pressure from the north and western Xinjiang. Yusuf's The creed is that only if you have enough force in your hands can you be qualified to bargain, otherwise you are worthless.
Facing the increasing military power of Jinzhong. One month after the Jinzhong Incident, the City Guards Corps began to evacuate from the transfer area between Longquan and Jinzhong and returned to their original stations. The city guard regiment in a corner is like a strong magnet attracting everyone's attention.
After inspecting the defense of Jinzhong, Wu Feng inspected the actual tactical drills conducted by two divisions of the Third Army and the second division of the Fifth Army in the area between Jinzhong, Longquan and Zhongzhou. The First Division of the Fifth Army Corps also sent a regiment for collaborative exercises, with the purpose of testing the army's rapid march speed and the coordinated combat capabilities of cavalry and infantry. The hundreds of miles of ground between Jinzhong, the Imperial Capital City, and the southeastern part of Longquan Mansion immediately became a training ground. Especially the appearance of the Third Heavy Cavalry Division of the Third Army of Western Xinjiang made the armed forces around this area even more fierce. They all tightened their hearts involuntarily. This is the first organic heavy cavalry division formed by the Tanghe Empire since the founding of the country. Its equipment and training are completely in accordance with the standard configuration and requirements of the most elite heavy cavalry in the Western Continent and the Liberian countries. For this reason Li Wufeng also specifically asked the Military Affairs Administration to hire military instructors from the Hansen Alliance and the Famini Empire in the Western Continent with large sums of money to conduct tactical training. In order to achieve the purpose.
Although this unique heavy cavalry division in Western Xinjiang suffered heavy losses in the first battle for Qinghe, this was also the first time that this heavy cavalry division led by Mao Jin had a large-scale confrontation with a powerful enemy. The setback changed the situation. Not only did they come with experience, but they also made this young heavy cavalry clearly aware of their own shortcomings. The Military Affairs Administration immediately selected the best horses and soldiers from the Western Regions to add to this division. In view of the fact that although the Western Region War Horse is not as durable as the Tengger War Horse, it is superior to the Tengger War Horse in terms of short-distance sprint speed, frontal impact and load-bearing capacity. The Military Affairs Administration spent a huge amount of money to replace the original Tengger War Horse with the Western Region War Horse. Gerry War Horse strives to restore this division to exceed its original combat strength in the shortest possible time. It should be said that Mao Jin and the officers and soldiers of the Third Division completed this task very well. The formation drills and group charges throughout the exercise fully demonstrated that this heavy cavalry division has completely surpassed the enemy after experiencing setbacks. It turned out. The combat effectiveness has reached a new level.
This large-scale military exercise did not shy away from using the Northern Army gathering in Cangzhou as the imaginary enemy. When the Northern Army launched an attack on Qinghe, it was imagined how the Western Xinjiang Army stationed in the Heshuo area would complete the attack on Qinghe. reinforcements or an attack on the imaginary enemy in Cangzhou. Although on the surface this is a military exercise targeting the Northern Army. However, the several major armed groups entrenched in the west and north of Zhongzhou have all felt the murderous intent from the west. In the confrontation between these two major military groups, they are in the most embarrassing position, and they cannot avoid it. Although Various signs from the center of the empire indicate that important figures are already putting pressure on these armed forces to join the Northern Army. However, in fact, the chief officers of these armies, which are already in a semi-independent status, have to consider how they can control the situation. Such a degree will win more observation time. It would be great if you could just sit back and watch, but many things often don't change according to personal wishes. The more you want to stay out of it, the more you can't escape it. This is a vicious circle.
Wu Feng and his party who returned to the west were also warmly welcomed by the gentry of Jinzhong, especially the industrial and business people, mainly coal mine owners, who not only held power in the entire western region of the empire, but also now controlled the general public. His Highness the King of Qin went to the gate of the imperial capital and flattered and invited favors. The enthusiasm was enough to attract the attention of the entourage, and many large coal mine owners even impassionedly expressed their willingness to donate huge amounts of military funds to support the great cause of His Highness the King of Qin.
Wu Feng naturally understands the mystery of this. Considering that Jinzhong has been under military control, although the mines of the coal mine owners have gradually reopened, the Jinzhong City Guards is actually in a state of shutdown, and the coal mine owners are not allowed to export coal. Not dealing directly with the military to obtain permission to transport military supplies is not only a cumbersome procedure, but also inconvenient for mine owners who are psychologically unwilling to deal with the military. Of course, these are not the main reasons, because the local coal mine owners are more or less related to the great nobles of the imperial capital, and it is no secret that His Highness the King of Qin has a bad relationship with the great nobles of the imperial capital. Will this implicate the local coal mine owners? Think about the fact that many businessmen in the Heshuo area who were originally closely related to the Taiping Religion were under military control. It only takes one sentence of traffic rebellion to send you to hell. Confiscation of property is considered a good thing, but if it is not good, you will be thrown into prison and will never be able to get out of it.
At the welcome reception held by the gentry and merchants for Wu Feng and his entourage, Wu Feng also responded explicitly to the requests of the gentry and merchants, saying that the Xijiang Government Affairs Administration and the Military Affairs Administration would soon discuss the abolition of military control in central Jinzhong and the restoration of local administration. At the same time, he also implicitly replied The location shows that for those gentry and merchants who have always been on the side of the conservative aristocrats of the imperial capital who are opposed to Western Xinjiang, although Xijiang will not take actions beyond the law, they will never let it go and condone their words and deeds that are blatantly hostile to Western Xinjiang. We also hope that The gentry and merchants in Jinzhong drew a clear line between them and the stubborn conservative forces in the imperial capital who were ignorant of current affairs.
Wu Feng's soft-but-hard remarks immediately caused a wave of rebellion in Jinzhong to counterattack the conservative aristocratic forces in the imperial capital. The largest newspaper in Heshuo, "Zhongyuan Daily" published a long article on the welcoming and supportive attitude of Jinzhong's industrial and commercial circles towards the Xijiang regime, and expressed their intention to break away from the conservative forces in the imperial capital, indicating that in the face of real interests, businessmen did not hesitate to abandon them. All unrealistic fantasies threw themselves into the embrace of Western Xinjiang without hesitation, and the nobles of the imperial capital could not find any way to fight back except grinding their teeth and hating them.
In Hejian Prefecture, Wu Feng exchanged views with Fang Chengsong, the Governor of Kansai who was greeted here, on the establishment of Heshuo County and the selection of Heshuo Governor. Wu Feng considered that although the Heshuo area has been fully included in his jurisdiction, In fact, both Longquan and Jinzhong are still on the front line of the war. A war could break out at any time. I originally hoped that Fang Chengsong would still temporarily act as the jurisdiction of the Heshuo area, but in the end I was persuaded by Fang Chengsong's proposal to straighten out the administrative management system as soon as possible, restore local government management, and promote rapid economic recovery. It was agreed to restore the county-level administrative areas of Beiyuan and Heshuo as soon as possible and rebuild the local economies of the two places.
Bo Jinchen's sudden arrival and departure did not make many people aware of anything, but Wu Feng dedicated half a day to talk secretly with him and Su Qin. Only those around Wu Feng could feel that Bo Jinchen's visit this time was no small matter. The complicated look on Bo Jinchen's face when he left made people realize that there might be some important burden for this remnant of peace, whose status in the Western Xinjiang military system is rising day by day, to bear.
Bo Jinchen was indeed a little distressed. When he received the notice from Wu Feng to meet in Heshuo, he realized that there must be some difficult task for him to take over, but he still did not expect that the task assigned by His Highness King Qin turned out to be such a difficult task. A task that he was unwilling to face emotionally or morally. There was a rumble of cars, and the carriage headed north under the escort of a group of cavalry. Bo Jinchen sat alone on the carriage and closed his eyes to relax, but his mind was still stuck on the conversation the day before yesterday.
It should be said that Su Qin's analysis is quite accurate. The merger of Situ Tai and Situ Biao has actually divided the empire into two major power groups, the interest group of the Li family in Western Xinjiang, which is booming, and the interests of the Situ family, which still has a certain degree of support in the interior of the empire. group.
Behind the Xijiang Li family is the industrial and commercial class in the entire Xijiang territory. Because the Xijiang system pays special attention to the interests of industrialists, merchants and farmers who occupy an important position among the residents of the entire territory, and in recent years, with the continuous expansion of the territory of Xijiang , trade routes and commodity sales channels are constantly opening up, and the government has invested and improved transportation facilities on an unprecedented scale. It is not only the business class that enjoys the benefits brought by this industrial and commercial prosperity. Including a considerable number of farmers who have been transformed into wage workers and handicrafts, they have also tasted the benefits brought by the prosperity of industry and commerce. Therefore, supporters of Xijiang even cover the entire middle and lower class groups in Xijiang. With such a broad public base, it should be said that The Xijiang Li clan’s status in the western region of the country has been unshakable by anyone. Even as the industrial and commercial competitiveness of the Western Xinjiang territory continues to increase, the economic situation of the southeastern region, which was once the most proud of the empire, has plummeted. This makes the southeastern industrial and commercial class who once provided more than 70% of the empire's tax revenue feel helpless. Endurance also allowed the business classes in East China Sea and Jiangnan to fully support Xijiang in secret.
The main supporters of the Situ family, who represent the original interest groups, are naturally the conservative forces led by the big landowners and nobles. Faced with the rise of the industrial and commercial class and the struggles of the people living at the bottom, if they want to protect their privileges and interests, they can only Being able to strengthen their dominance through various means, Li Wufeng and them can no longer walk on the same path, and the Situ family has become the backer they can place high hopes on. Their bases are Yanyun and Wuhu.
The two distinct interest groups are actually quite clear, which has also caused huge cracks in the original imperial system where various interests are intertwined. The most obvious ones are the Imperial City Guards Corps and the Fourteenth Army Corps that have been stationed in the suburbs of Zhongzhou. This time, the task Li Wufeng gave Bo Jinchen was to win over the Fourteenth Army Corps. This is also what gives Bo Jinchen the most headache.
The fact that the Fourteenth Legion came from the Taiping surrendered army was originally the most favorable factor for Bo Jinchen, but now as the commander of the legion, Lan Bailin is the person Bo Jinchen hates the most. How could the Taiping Rebellion fall apart in such a short period of time? Although Bo Jinchen, after seeing the strength and prosperity of Western Xinjiang, admitted that even if the Taiping Rebellion was successful, it would not be able to stop the great strides of Western Xinjiang. He moved towards the east, but this feeling of being betrayed was something that Bo Jinchen would never forget.
But a conversation between Li Wufeng and Su Qin made Bo Jinchen finally change his original attitude of refusing this mission, if you still have a little sympathy for those Taiping believers deep down in your heart. We should use this opportunity to get them out of the sea of misery and seek a new life. The empire has become a broken ship that is about to sink. There is no need to let these poor people deal with the empire. These words are still in the ears of the people. echo. Although Lan Bailin was hateful, but thinking about the situation at that time, he was probably just trying to survive. It was just that he overestimated You Daofang's ability. This kind of religious fanaticism that was almost obsessive The rising believers have no chance of winning when they actually face a rigorously trained regular army, except to donate more lives to the so-called holy religion cause. Others are not of much value, except for those who wholeheartedly want to follow the Holy Religion to conquer the world and win a happy life.
The intelligence department also provided sufficient intelligence preparations for Bo Jinchen's trip to Zhongzhou. Lan Bailin's Fourteenth Army Corps was left in the cold after Situ Lang became addicted to aphrodisiac cream. With intermittent unsustainable military pay supplies and the loss of the direction of struggle, this army composed of the most loyal Taiping believers quickly declined. Although Lan Bailin tried various means to maintain this army, the fact was that Except for one or two basic divisions whose combat effectiveness can barely be maintained, the combat effectiveness of the remaining divisions is already very questionable. According to the understanding of the Western Xinjiang Intelligence Department, the loyalty and cohesion of this recruitment force, which was not favored by the conservative forces in the central empire, have dropped to a low point. If the soldiers had no way out, the Western Xinjiang Intelligence Department It is even suspected that this unit may have mutinied long ago. Under this circumstance, the Western Xinjiang intelligence department came to the conclusion that as long as a well-respected person comes forward to persuade, there is at least a 90% certainty that this desperate army can be used for its own purposes.
In this case, Bo Jinchen became the best candidate to persuade the Fourteenth Army to surrender. After all, Bo Jinchen's prestige in the Taiqing Army was probably second only to that of You Daofang, especially since his influence in the army was so great in a certain period. This level even surpasses You Daofang. In the current situation where he is surrounded by enemies from all sides, as long as Bo Jinchen can put aside his past grudges and come forward, I believe this should be a matter of course.
From a military perspective, Western Xinjiang does not need such an army that lacks combat effectiveness and has lost the will to fight, but from a political perspective, if this army is instigated to rebel, no matter whether it is the Eighth or Ninth Army Corps stationed in the south of Zhongzhou, The Third Army Corps stationed in the eastern part of Zhongzhou, as well as the remaining two divisions of the Fourth Army Corps, which has been hesitant, will have unexpected effects. Even these Taiping surrender troops in Western Xinjiang can treat each other warmly, so what if the regular Imperial Army of our own can treat them warmly? Would the Army's surrender lead to a better outcome