Chapter 15: Requesting Battle at Zongbian

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  Yang Xing didn't care about their satisfaction, and after deciding on the distribution plan, he took the artillery company with him under the pretext of transporting supplies and brought the money back to the garrison in Chengdu.

  After returning to the garrison, he immediately met with Tao Zekun and others, gave a brief report on the training process, the battle process, and the capture of the artillery company. Tao Zekun was quite excited, looking at Yang Xingdao: "Yang Zhengdong, you are indeed a brave general! Since the Xinhai Revolution, Zhao Erfeng's patrol battalion has colluded with local bandits in various places, making Sichuan a hotbed of banditry. Many officials were afraid to crack down on them. Unexpectedly, your artillery company eliminated the notorious bandit leader Wang Dagna in just one day! You know that Wang Dagna had over 100 men and more than 50 guns!"

  Yang Xing laughed and said: Report to the captain, this is where you and the great governor have a way, so the excitement in this bandit suppression process was lucky to win.

  Tao Zekun stared at Yang Xing, patting his shoulder and said: "Zheng Dong, I'm getting more and more confused about you. Just like in the past when we were at Sichuan Army Primary School, and later at the Army Officer Academy, you were always so quiet and reserved, not as outgoing as Li Jiayu, Wang Mingzhang, or Luo Zezhou. Back then, I discussed you with the school principal, who is now General Yin Da, and we all thought you were just an average person. Who would have thought that after being hit by a grenade, you would suddenly become so brilliant? Not only do you understand artillery, but also training and even combat tactics!"

  Her face was a bit flushed, and after a long silence, she had to use a lie to get through: Teacher Tao, at that time the students were a bit dull, day and night they had nothing to do but read books and things.

  Nodding, with a smile: "Zhēng Dōng, this time you have made great contributions. The Grand Commander has been worried about the military expenses for the expedition to Tibet to quell the rebellion, but you have brought back nearly 100,000 taels of military expenses, greatly alleviating the difficulties of the army's long journey."

  Yang Xing hastily stood up and said: "Commander, for the sake of the Grand Commander, for the commander's worries, this is a student's duty."

  After a long silence, Tao Zekun suddenly said in a very low voice: Zheng Dong, the Grand Commander-in-Chief has asked me to inform you that he is extremely pleased. However, you know that this expedition to Tibet is a long way off, and it's extremely difficult for the army to resupply. The Grand Commander-in-Chief has decided to leave your artillery company in Sichuan Province, and to have you stay in northern Sichuan to suppress bandits. This will not only stabilize the rear but also allow you to replenish military supplies through suppressing bandits.

  Yang Xing said with a sad face: Commander Tao, you also know. Our artillery company is a model regimental organization, how can we be absent when suppressing the Tibetan rebellion? Suppressing bandits is important, but more importantly, it's defending our home and country, suppressing the Tibetan DL Lama rebellion!

  Tao Zekun shook his head and said, "Alas, Zhengdong. In the past, we were worried that your artillery unit had just been established and was not good at fighting. Now it seems that you are a skilled fighter against bandits, and I want to keep you in Sichuan Province to fight against bandits and supplement military needs."

  Yang Xing shook his head and said: Commander Tao, I know that suppressing bandits is important, collecting military rations for the army is important. And I also know that it's crucial for Generalissimo and you to quell the rebellion in Zangbian. If the rebellion in Zangbian is put down, Generalissimo and you will likely leave your names in history. Therefore, I beg to ask, can we first quell the rebellion in Zangbian and then come back to suppress bandits?

  Tao Zejun shook his head firmly, disagreeing. Yang Xing was anxious and suddenly had an idea: "Commander, the students are in northern Sichuan suppressing bandits. Although it's possible to eliminate many bandits and provide supplies for the army, Commander, you know that transporting grain from northern Sichuan to western Sichuan is not only a long distance but also results in significant losses. How about this: the artillery company follows the main force and clears out the bandits along the way? This can ensure the safety of the rear and also eliminate the bandits' wealth."

  Upon hearing this, Tao Zejun was quite moved. Although he claimed that he would inform Yin Changheng, there was no news from him for two days.

  That day, several platoon leaders found Yang Xing, and after a discussion, they immediately let all the soldiers in the company write letters of request to go into battle, which were then handed over to Tao Zekun.

  Tao Zekun was shocked, in the past many wars, soldiers writing letters of request for battle were a novelty, now seeing artillery company soldiers write this thing, he was shocked and had to comfort the crowd at the artillery company.

  Seeing such a mighty army, although it is far inferior to the later generations, but compared with the elite troops of the Republic of China, it is naturally not much worse.

  Especially when seeing the class teams competing in the confrontation exercise, everyone was fighting fiercely, and the scene was shouting and killing, hearing the loud sound of wooden clashing, Tao Zejun repeatedly shouted to stop.

  Yang Xing asked in surprise, "Tao Zejun shook his head and said: 'Zhen Dong, you are training like this, everyone is actually fighting each other, aren't you afraid that there will be casualties among the soldiers?' Listen to the sound of the wooden sticks, it's completely the sound of full-strength combat. And look, some soldiers are standing behind the trenches, holding up signs, how can you let them shoot real bullets? What if they get hit?"

  Yang Xing laughed and said: "Team leader, the ancients said that training soldiers is important for training their courage. One squad of soldiers fired live ammunition, while another squad held up signs on the other side. Not only was it a test of the courage of the soldiers firing, but also a test of the courage of the soldiers holding the signs. To ensure that each department reached this point, the students first conducted half a month of aiming practice and then half a month of live ammunition training. Only under these circumstances did the soldiers dare to stick their heads out, hold up signs, and let another group of soldiers conduct shooting exercises."

  Tao Zekun smiled and said, "Zhen Dong, although this is good, the risk is too great. This subject was only set up in our military school days, and in the army, including the Beiyang Army, it has not been set up. The risk is too great. In the future, such training subjects will still need to be reported to me."

  Yang Xing just nodded in agreement.

  What's more important is that when Tao Zekun talked with these soldiers, they all said the same thing: to pacify Zangke.

  Looking at Tao Zekun, Yang Xing asked: "Commander, it seems that after half a year of training and the previous elimination of bandit leader Wang Dagna, my artillery company has fully achieved its training goals. I now request your approval for my artillery company to go to Tibet to quell the rebellion."

  But still didn't open his mouth. Meaning that the artillery company is the big commander's heart, and it was the big commander who decided that the artillery company would not participate in the rebellion, this kind of thing is best to ask the big commander for instructions.

  Having heard this, there was no way out, so he had to put away more than a hundred letters of challenge and come to the front gate of the Governor's Mansion.

  As it belongs to the model team, directly under the Grand Commandant's Office, they come several times a week to contact with the deputy officer and get the message that the Grand Commandant is currently in a meeting with various department heads and division commanders, so there is no time for anything else, what can be conveyed through the deputy officer.

  I think if it's conveyed through a deputy officer, it's very likely to fall on deaf ears and the decision will be put off.

  At the time of the Lantern Festival, Sichuan's Grand Governor Yin Changheng and various department heads and division commanders held a meeting to discuss and consult with each other. After reporting to Yuan Shikai in Beiping, they decided to lead troops into Xikang Province in June to quell the rebellion.

  Yuan Shikai of Beiping was still quick to act, in order to show his military might, he decided to suppress the DL Lama rebellion, and appointed Yin Changheng as the Sichuan border campaign commander, who would join forces with Cai E, the governor of Yunnan, to attack the DL Lama rebel army, ensuring the integrity of national territory.

  After receiving the appointment, Yin Changheng immediately consulted with Cai E, the governor of Yunnan, and sent a part of the Yunnan army to the north to coordinate with the Sichuan army to capture Changdu and Lingzhi, forming a situation where they were approaching Lhasa, and then attacking and occupying Lhasa to defend the southwestern border of the motherland.

  In the past few days, Sichuan's military and political leaders have been holding continuous meetings. After discussion, it was decided that Hu Jingyi, the Minister of Military Affairs, would temporarily take over as the Governor of Sichuan, with Peng Guanglie as the commander of the Northern Route Army, leading the First Division via Xiao Jinshan and Maerkang to Aba County, thereby pacifying the Tibetan rebellion in the Aba region.

  Yin Changheng personally led the third division of Sun Guangxiang and the model brigade, starting from Ya'an, attacking and capturing Kangding Prefecture, the capital of Ganzi, then solidifying their gains, marching north along the Ganzi River, entering Jiangda County in western Kham and Tibet, joining forces with the Yunnan Army to occupy Changdu County, thereby advancing on Lhasa and forcing the 13th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government to surrender.

  To wipe out the DL rebel forces, a mixed brigade led by Zhu Wudeng, which set out last month, has arrived in Ya'an and is actively advancing westward.

  Just after the high-level military meeting ended, a group of senior generals gradually left. Yin Changheng also wanted to take a good rest for the upcoming invasion of Tibet.

  Just then, the deputy officer came to report that the artillery company commander Yang Xing was asking to see him and had stubbornly waited for an entire afternoon, which felt strange at the time.

  Since the formation of the artillery company, except for normal official visits, this Yang Xing had never come to visit himself for personal matters. Now that the army is about to set out, Yang Xing has come to see him, probably regarding the issue of participating in the war.

  It's said that the artillery company participated in the battle and was quite motivated. After hearing that a bandit stronghold with over 100 people was attacked by the artillery company, it was taken down smoothly.

  What's more important is that during this suppression of the bandit chief Wang Dagna, 100,000 taels of silver were actually seized. Although it's difficult for local bandit chiefs to have as much wealth as Wang Dagna, it can be seen that suppressing bandits is indeed a valuable thing. Eliminating bandit chiefs not only stabilizes local order but also gains huge wealth from the bandits.

  After receiving Tao Zekun's report that the artillery company had annihilated the bandit leader Wang Dagna, Yin Changheng wanted to keep the artillery company in northern Sichuan for bandit suppression.

  Although Tao Zekun later strongly opposed it, thinking that if the artillery company were to be brought along, it would be a case of "doubling the effort for half the work". Bringing along the artillery company could clear out bandits along the way.

  However, Yin Changheng disagreed, thinking that the journey to Zang was too far and difficult, with 12 small steel cannons in the artillery, which would be quite difficult to transport along the way, and it would be better to stay in northern Sichuan to suppress bandits.

  Yin Changheng had always held the view that the common people in Zangbian were poor, and even if bandits were eliminated somewhere, the gains would be limited after all. It was better to leave the artillery regiment in the rich Sichuan province to eliminate bandits.

  It is now heard that Yang Xingqiu, the commander of the artillery company, has asked to see him. After a moment's thought, he agreed.

  It is worth knowing that in this era, artillery was a very precious breed, just like the previous life due to Chen Cheng's artillery getting the law, deeply gaining JJ's trust.

  Yang Xing used to be a student of Sichuan Army Primary School, and later a student of Sichuan Army Officer School. Although he didn't perform well in school, after all, Yin Changheng was the principal of Sichuan Army Primary School, nominally Yang Xing's student.

  Now, Yang Xing is becoming more and more capable. Not only does he understand artillery, but he can also utter a few words of English, and easily eliminate the bandit leader Wang Dagna. Yin Changheng is also increasingly treating Yang Xing as his trusted aide.

  It is now said that Yang Xing has requested an audience. Although somewhat perplexed, after a moment's reflection, he ordered his deputy to bring this Yang Xing before him.

  In an instant, Yang Xing, full of energy and vigor, rushed over quickly. As soon as he saw Commander Yin, Yang Xing's voice choked with emotion: "Commander, does the artillery company belong to the model regiment's formation? Is it under your command in the Imperial Guard?"

  Yin Changheng felt strange and comforted him, saying: "Zhēng Dōng, what's the matter, take your time to say it. Although the artillery company was not established for a long time, I personally support the artillery company and you Yang Xing."

  Yang Xing heard: "Commander-in-Chief, since the artillery company belongs to the model division's organization and is your personal guard, why has the entire model division prepared to go to Zangbian, while the artillery company received orders to go to northern Sichuan to suppress bandits? The soldiers of the whole company are not convinced."

  He immediately took out more than a hundred letters of challenge and handed them over to the commander-in-chief.

  Yin Changheng was shocked upon hearing this. Although the new army had been established for several years, many of its troops were mere shells, capable only of intimidating civilians in peacetime but not of actual combat.

  At that time, looking at these new recruits' crooked and slanted enlistment letters, I asked: "Are you really volunteering for your brothers?"

  Yang Xing nodded and said, "Report to the Grand Commander, it is indeed a voluntary act for us brothers. Since receiving the order from the Grand Commander to form an artillery company, every member of the company has been diligently practicing without exception, always ready to go into battle at any moment, in order to become China's strongest artillery force. In the process of training, we have treated every exercise as a bloody war and every war as a bloody exercise. Now we are waiting for the country's call to march to the border and quell the rebellion."

  Yin Changheng still had doubts and looked at Yang Xingdao: "Zheng Dong, you didn't come here to fool me, did you?"

  Upon hearing this question, he hastily stood up and saluted, saying: "Great General, how dare I be so presumptuous? These over a hundred letters of request for battle are indeed the doing of the soldiers."

  Yin Changheng still had concerns: "The artillery regiment has just been formed. If a major loss occurs on the border, what should we do?"

  "General, students insist that training is a bloody war and war is a bloody training. The artillery team always integrates actual combat into training at all times, and the soldiers have full confidence to respond to the upcoming war."

  Yin Changheng fell into deep thought, and after a long while said: "Zheng Dong, I heard that you have annihilated the bandits at Yan Shan stronghold. I am quite impressed and was planning to let you participate in the battle with cannons. However, someone told me that Yang Xing is an expert in annihilating bandits, so I hope you can stay in Sichuan Province to assist in protecting the Grand Governor and annihilating the bandits. This will not only stabilize Sichuan Province but also replenish military supplies."

  Yang Xing laughed and said: Commander, last time we eliminated Wang Da Nuo, it can only be said that it was luck. After the war, we summarized that there were still too many dangers. So if we eliminate bandits again, we probably won't be able to do it as smoothly as before. More importantly, a man should have the ambition to protect his family and country. Now Commander is far away in Sichuan eliminating the DL Lama rebellion, DL Lama and his gang are also bandits, if I were by Commander's side, I should be able to play a more important role.

  Yin Changheng smiled and said: Zheng Dong, what can you do?

  Yang Xing laughed and said: "Great General, you know that the road to Zang is far away and it's very inconvenient for the army to get supplies. However, we can obtain supplies from those Tusi who support DL and those Lamas who support DL. In this way, taking one part of money in Zang is equivalent to taking two parts of money in Sichuan Province, isn't this a great relief for the Sichuan Army's supply?"

  Lian Lian waved his hand and said: "Conquering the East, Tibetan chieftains and lamas can't be as rich as our Sichuan landlords, right?"

  Yang Xing laughed and said: "Great Governor, I have a different view. You know that the Qing Dynasty claimed to be Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan and Han, and the Tibetan local officials and lamas were also rulers, with a higher status than our Han rulers. During the more than 200 years of rule by the Qing court, how much wealth did my province of Sichuan and other provinces provide to Tibet? How much wealth was bestowed upon the local officials and lamas by the imperial court? And how much wealth could these local officials and lamas accumulate by exploiting their Tibetan subjects?"

  Upon hearing Yang Xing's words, he suddenly realized and laughed after a long time: "Zheng Dong, this time we are indeed the righteous army, to quell the DL Lama rebellion, not bandits. The great army is on a distant expedition, and it is absolutely impermissible to violate military discipline."

  Yang Xing laughed and said: Commander-in-Chief, military discipline must be followed, but after all, this time is a military operation. For the Tibetan rebel troops, for the local officials and lamas who support the DL, we must eliminate them. The student has a plan, I hope the Commander-in-Chief will take a look.

  As soon as he told his idea to Yin Changheng, Yin Changheng was quite moved, but kept saying that they should be cautious, and must be cautious.

  Later, accompanied by Tao Zekun, he went to the artillery company for inspection. He saw that the training ground was completely different from other troops, with the entire camp being neat and orderly. He saw slogans on the campsite, heard soldiers shouting slogans during training, singing military songs, saw everyone's enthusiasm for going into battle, saw the whole company live-fire shooting, artillery firing, and exclaimed that this army was completely different from other new armies. Finally, he agreed to let the artillery company follow the team to participate in the Western Expedition.

  Newcomer struggling, very difficult, hope everyone collects and recommends, Dongfang will guarantee updates.