Chapter 46 Jiang Facing Confrontation

It is really hard to describe the embarrassing and haggard appearance of Ouyang Wu and Feng Yuxiang. Both of them were so thin that they were a little disfigured, with only seven or eight equally embarrassed soldiers around them. The military uniforms were dirty and torn, and they emitted a stinky smell. Several of them were squatting in the yard of Li Liejun's headquarters, each with a bowl of water, surrounded by a basket of rice and a few radish sticks. They ate and drank voraciously.

When Li Liejun walked in, he saw all this and shouted loudly: "Care the things for them! I'll make some rice porridge. They've been hungry for a few days, so they can't eat like this!"

When Ouyang Wu heard Li Liejun's voice, he hurriedly turned around. When he didn't say anything, the tears were almost falling, and his mouth was full of rice grains, so he shouted: "Governor, I'm sorry for you, the brothers of the First Group, it's all over!"

Li Liejun's eyes were also a little hot. Seeing Feng Yuxiang and the Jiangbei Army soldiers beside Ouyang Wu, they also stood up, restrained their emotions, and said lightly: "There are wins and losses in the war, so what's the point? If you hadn't restrained the Hubei and Northern Army in Wuchang, we wouldn't have fought so smoothly! Stop the Ge, cheer up, and have a good sleep. I will be led by you, the detachment!"

I asked carefully about their escape. That night, the vanguard of the third town of the Northern Army launched repeated charges. Although the Gan Army had been resisting hard, it was indeed at the end of its reach. The position was finally broken away by the Northern Army. Several of them hid under the trestle under the cover of the remaining Yuchen Guard soldiers. The enemy searched several times, but they were blindly avoided. They soaked in the water for two days and two nights before they struggled to survive. They all swollen. They used a lot of money to buy a boatman, left Wuchang on a boat at night, and found Ezhou all the way. In order to avoid the positions and sentry lines of the Hubei Army, they went around a long circle, and they suffered a lot.

To be fair, although the sneak attack on Wuchang by the Gan Army and the Yuchen Guard was wiped out, it was also a success. It scared Li Yuanhong to Hankou, and the command of the front line was interrupted for some time. It also left a considerable number of Hubei troops in the three towns of Wuhan and could not be sent to the front. And if it weren't for the heavy rain, maybe the overall situation of the Hubei-Jiangxi War would have been determined.

Chen Huan walked off the train and stepped on the small platform of Xiaogan Station. He stomped his feet hard on the ground. This was his temporary headquarters. The Gan Army approached Wuchang, and he did not plan to set up the headquarters there. If nothing unexpected happens in the future, Hubei will be where he will show his own strength. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile slightly. But he put it away in a blink of an eye and turned to his deputy chief and ordered: "Control a train at any time and place it here. This must be controlled by the adjutant himself. Do you understand?"

Wang Ruxian, chief of staff of the First Army, walked over slowly and nodded, "Er'an, the Army Minister Yinchang Headquarters was also selected here. This time, this is the second time that my brothers have come. Last time they were enemies of the Hubei army, and this time they have become friendly forces with the Hubei army. It seems that things in this world are really hard to say very well."

Chen Huan smiled indifferently. Wang Ruxian was qualified to be an old corps with him. However, he didn't take these things into consideration. He just asked in his official business: "What is the front line now?"

Wang Ruxian cursed in his heart, and pretended to be like a boss to me. His face was still very calm.

"There are already the main forces of the 9th, 10th and 11th Regiments of the Third Division in Wuchang. We are ready to move to Ezhou at any time. The Second Division is in Liujiamiao, one of the Second Division is in Hankou, and one of the Eighth Division is in Hanyang, so we will protect the Hanchang first. The main forces of the other Eighth Division follow us in Xiaogan. The troops are already deployed... Everything is normal."

Chen Huan nodded and asked with a smile: "Brother Shaofu, where has Yuchen's troops been progressing?"

Wang Ruxian hesitated and said, "It's hard to say now. The frontline news has not come back yet. The information from the previous two days said that their main force has reached the gate. It's only a day and a half away from Ezhou. Now we should meet with the Gan Army! We will wait until the headquarters is resettled and I will touch you after finishing it."

Chen Huan nodded: "This battle has reached this point. Should we fight? We have to wait for Beijing's orders. This is not something you and I can take charge...... Tell the front line to keep in touch with the enemy, but don't open fire easily! If anyone wants to shoot something randomly, I can't spare him!"

Yes, in such a complex situation in Hubei, simply fighting can no longer solve the problem. What are Yuan Shikai from Beijing and Yuchen from Jiangbei thinking now? Chen Huan looked up at the sky and felt a little helpless as a chess piece.

At this time, at Jiujiang Wharf, with the sound of the whistle, the three gunboats of Jiangbei Army drew anchors and cables. They all raised the naval flags of the Navy of the Republic of China and took the lead in sailing out of the port. These three ships were the Chu Tai gunboats, the Chu Guan gunboats, and the Yingzhou transport ships. As they set off, a large group of civilian ships behind them also followed under the tow of several small steamers.

The flag of the Major General was flying high above the Chu Tai gunboat. It was the ship of Major General Xie Guanchao, the commander of the Yangtze River Patrol Fleet of Jiangbei Army. He was not kept as a teacher by Yuchen. He was promoted to Commander of the Major General Fleet.

Many officers and soldiers from the Gan Army and Jiangbei Army on the shore were watching the departure of the transport fleet. No one knew what would happen during the short journey to Ezhou.

Shortly after the fleet left Jiujiang Wharf, four British inland gunboats had already relied on the shelling incident from the Wuxue Jiangmen. Although Yuan Shikai's central government had not handled the negotiations, the strong response caused by Yuchen Fish Electric and the nationalist thoughts that swept across the country for the first time since the People's Yuan Dynasty also caused some internal differences of opinions among the representatives of the British in China.

Some more gentle people, such as the Consul General of Hankou, Britain, believed that since the Jiangbei army was under the banner of neutral mediation, they should be regarded as missing for their sailing on the Yangtze River, unless they had a provoked the authority of the British Empire. After all, Britain was too deeply involved in the Chinese civil war, and it was not entirely in line with the interests of the British Empire. Some people believed that, for example, the officers of the Kent and Far East Fleet, had announced that the passage of military ships used in the Yangtze River Basin in the Hubei-Jiangxi War, including the requisitioned civilian ships. Moreover, there had been shelling, for the sake of the British Empire's face, they had to stick to the end. Of course, the means could be gentler than before. When all parties expressed their respect for the rights and orders of the British Empire on the Yangtze River, diplomatic means would be used to handle negotiations.

In fact, in their hearts, they only think that the fleet with the rice flag should have complete freedom of movement on the Yangtze River. What does the Chinese think? Although they wrote in the report that they should pay attention, they still disagree. The British Empire has actually owned the Yangtze River basin waterway for decades, and this situation will continue.

These days, the British Empire has also urgently contacted some powerful countries because of this sudden shelling incident. It hopes to act in a unified manner. In their opinion, this has been considered a concession. It is already a loss of face to get the approval of other countries within its own exclusive interests!

Lord Kent from Shanghai strongly opposed it and declared: "On the Yangtze River, we should do whatever we want! Will Japan seek our consent for military operations in Kanto (Dalian)? Will France conduct a military exercise in Guangzhou Bay require our British Empire to act together? Will Germany prepare to shell a Chinese warship in Qingdao that infringes on German interests first report to us? The civil war between Chinese soldiers has seriously hindered the sailing of British ships with the rice flag on the Yangtze River! The gun battles and artillery battles at Wuchang Wharf, and also stray bullets falling on ancient ships, we should have complete freedom of movement! These barbarians do not know that they have quelled the war, and we are helping them maintain peace on the Yangtze River!"

Kent clamored like this, but Zhu Erdian of Beijing insisted on the need for support from most powerful powers. It had previously agreed to adopt the principle of unification of the great powers against the Republic of China. Although the Yangtze River Basin was the exclusive sphere of influence of the British Empire, this principle must also be followed. After several days of negotiation efforts, France has announced support for Britain's actions to safeguard its rights and interests on the Yangtze River. After persuasion, Japan actually more likely was that they had long been coveting the essence of China, and the British-Japanese alliance was still in effect at that time, and announced that it would send some ships to participate in Britain's peacekeeping operations on the Yangtze River. The United States stated that it would not participate in this action, but for both sides of the civil war, it hoped that the war could be ended as soon as possible. Support for Britain was reflected in the belief that the Wuxue shelling incident was an accident, and that the British ships were also attacked, and that Britain's authoritative position on the Yangtze River should not be challenged.

As for Russia and Germany, Jurden did not seek their opinions. With France and Japan, the support from both countries was supported by Britain. The British even continued the blockade on the Yangtze River to the end. Sometimes the country's foreign policy has an inertia.

Xie Guanchao sat upright on the podium, staring at the four British gunboats, all of which were large insect-class ships. All the artillery on the ship had been shaken. A British sailor was holding a flag on the flagship leading the way. He read silently in his heart.

"We do not want anything unpleasant to happen. We hope that your fleet will change its course immediately and return to Jiujiang. Otherwise, our fleet will intercept it. Please obey our orders."

The nautical staff ran into the podium and wanted to report to Xie Guanchao. Xie Guanchao waved his hand: "Don't pay attention to them, we have complete freedom of navigation on the Chinese waterway! Order warships to seize the intermediate waterway, their muzzles are aimed at us, and we also aimed at them! Target - Ezhou!"

He recalled the explanation Yuchen gave him before leaving, and met the British interceptor fleet. Don’t be weak or give in. But he will never fire the first shot. If the British Navy takes action, he will fight back firmly. He gritted his teeth in his heart. Isn’t it his dream that the navy will not fire at his opponents who are both Chinese?

This year, Xie Guanchao was 37 years old, which was also the eighteen years after he escaped from Dadonggou.

"Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, the Chinese gunboats did not stop, but became two rows, protecting their transport fleet in the middle. The Chu Tai gunboat was on the port side of the transport fleet, while the Chu Guan gunboat was on the starboard side, and their muzzles were also facing us."

Lieutenant Colonel He, the commander of the first squadron of the Inland Squadron of the British Far East Fleet, put down his telescope in disgust. He hated this task and also hated that idiot colleague. In his opinion, although his days in China are not promising, they are definitely comfortable. Enjoy the awe-inspiring eyes of the Chinese and overseas subsidies. For a naval officer in his forties, it was definitely a long leisurely holiday during his service! That idiot messed up everything! Now he couldn't decide whether to fire a warning!

The orders issued by the Minister and the commander of the Far East Fleet were both vague and polite and firmly expressed the position of the British Empire to the fleet of the Jiangbei Army. Continue their original mission. In his opinion, this had become a stupid move to maintain the face of the British Empire!

Regarding whether to open fire, the order he received was to avoid bloodshed like Wuxue. But the cannons on the Chinese gunboat had already been aimed at them. He even saw the firm gaze of the Chinese naval officer on the opposite side in the telescope! He dared to make sure that as long as his muzzle flashed, the opponent would undoubtedly fight back! I really don’t know what to do with this kind of mission!

If the enemy fleet approached in the North Sea or even at the mouth of the Thames, even if he was on a small sampan with only a harpoon in his hand, he would undoubtedly wave his fork and fight against the enemy's warships. But on the Yangtze River, do you really need to fight with the other party? This is all a civil war between the Chinese people. Which idiot agreed to involve the British fleet?

Four British gunboats followed the fleet in a close manner, pointing at each other's muzzles at each other. But they were stalemate here for a moment. Seeing the Jiangbei Army's fleet firmly heading towards Ezhou, British Lieutenant Colonel Mr. He Bo finally decided what to do. In any case, if this fleet drove to Ezhou, his mission would only be a failure. And he never discounted his character of completing the orders of his superiors. He did not want to ruin his good reputation.

He whispered an order to the captain beside him: "The 3-inch gun in front will fire a shell in front of their route to warn them. At the same time, he gave them a banner and asked them to respect the orders of the British Empire Navy. I hope everyone will remain restrained and not have any conflicts."

His order was quickly implemented, and the British sailors might have been dissatisfied with their restrained attitude. A 3-inch cannon shell fell into the sea very close to the Chutai, causing a large area of ​​river water to splash onto the deck. The British sailors cheered and whistled, and some even gestured indecent gestures toward this side.

The captain Chu Tai was next to Xie Guanchao. He stomped his feet heavily: "Commander, are we going to fight back?" Xie Guanchao said coldly: "Don't fight back, keep moving forward."

Bo He was angry and found that the Jiangbei Army's fleet continued to move forward firmly, ignoring his cannon warning and flag. Only the Chu Tai said to them in flag language: "We are the Jiangbei Army, and we are sailing on the rivers in China now. Please do not stop them." Bo He closed his eyes and opened them again: "The last time the cannon warning! He told those guys that if they did not return to Jiujiang, we would really open fire!"

He made up his mind, I am a soldier! I want to execute my orders!

Another shell exploded in front of the Chutai. This time it got closer. The Chutai rushed into the water column that was aroused by the shell without hesitation. The water column dissipated, and the warship was still holding its head forward. The 745-ton gunboat ordered at the Kobe Shipyard in Japan during the Qing Dynasty had two 114mm main guns and two 76mm secondary guns. On this September day, it showed his most glorious figure.

Bo He quickly calculated the firepower comparison between the two sides. The two gunboats of the Jiangbei Army were still very powerful on the Yangtze River. His four warships had only twelve 3-inch (76 mm) artillery pieces, plus some 6-pound (57 mm) secondary guns. They were all small ships of two or three hundred tons. They were smaller than the Chu font. In combat, even if the training level of the Chinese Navy was not as good as that of the British ships, it was very likely that their warships would be blown into pieces under the 114 mm shell. Now the two sides are too close to each other!

He suddenly missed the original fleet with dragon flags that were dodged by looking at the Mi-character flag. However, the pride of the British Navy still made him resolutely issue an order: "The Falcon and the Tanglings deal with the warship in the south, my Ladybug and the Jiharrier deal with the warship in the north, and when my order is over, they will fire with all their might...... We must wait for my order!"

Xie Guanchao stood up in the command seat, and kept a row of four British warships in a row, divided into two rows. Two clamped Chu Tai, and two clamped Chu Guan. The British sailors on the ship rushed to set up their own battle positions. After several adjustments, they had completely aimed the two ships. No one knew when they would smash the shells!

A drop of sweat flowed down Xie Guanchao's cheeks, and the officers around him were also watching all this nervously. Xie Guanchao issued an order in a hoarse voice: "Each person in both ships is in their place! Point the muzzle at the British ship, and be ready to fight back at any time! As soon as they take action, we will fight back!" As the officers and soldiers on the warship issued this order, they all settled their respective positions. The nerves of both sides were tense, and the muzzle was at such a close distance, just like fighting a bayonet on the battlefield. As long as they opened fire, it would definitely be a very tragic situation.

Xie Guanchao put the naval officer's hat on his head with a straight look and looked ahead with a bright look. The Jiangbei Army's fleet was still continuing to move forward firmly.

"When did Jiujiang's first transport fleet set out?" Yuchen asked with a solemn expression in his "Tiger's Nest" combat room. He ordered the naval fleet to enter Jiujiang west to escort the transport fleet.

Since his fishing power was sent out, he would not make any confrontation with the UK. His telegram could only be reduced to a slogan and a lot of empty talk. Since the morale of the people has been stirred up to this level by him, it is necessary to do what the Jiujiang transport fleet continues to move north.

He carefully calculated that no matter the victory or defeat of the confrontation incident on the river, it would only help his reputation without any harm. But the real politicians could not only consider this point. He had a direct conflict with the British. What were their subsequent reactions? And how would the great powers act? What would Yuan Shikai in Beijing use this to do? Will Jiangbei’s semi-independence be threatened? Will his plan to cover the three provinces be smoothly carried out? These are all issues that he must consider. He is indeed unscrupulous about what Britain’s bottom limit on the Yangtze River. According to Sima Zhan’s old saying, there are too many variables in this matter and he cannot infer it.

However, so many military and civilians in Wuxue were injured and killed, he had to make this decision. As mentioned before, our Commander Yu is also a young man with a certain national sentiment. What's more, he is only twenty-four years old.

However, no matter what happened, Yuchen was confident that he would use this situation to continue to implement his plan. The problem was to see this matter develop into that situation.

Wu Cai replied in a low voice: "The transport fleet of Jiujiang departed at 10 a.m. They should keep in touch with us. It is estimated that by 12 o'clock, the first radio telegram will be transferred."

Yuchen looked carefully at the Jiujiang River section on the map, shook his head and said, "I don't want to thank the process of watching the tide, I just want to have a result! Anyway, I have already made it clear to him. The British fired, so we will fight back!"

Wu Cai stood without saying a word, and then asked hesitantly for a while: "Commander, if we really fight with the British, have you considered these variables? This time we are urging troops in Hubei and Jiangxi, we can also provide supplies to our army in Ezhou from Anhui. Do you have to fight against the British on the Yangtze River?"

He continued: "I absolutely support this for finding the British! The people in Wuxue cannot let them kill for free! But as the chief of staff of the Jiangbei Army, I have to consider the whole situation. We have made so many enemies, is it helpful to our actions in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River? Mr. Yiyu and others have come to you many times these days, but you have not seen each other. They ask me to tell you, don't be too arrogant and force the British to support Yuan Shikai with all their strength."
Chapter completed!