The collapse of the German Empire was ultimately at home. The uprising of naval soldiers spread the crisis across the country, forcing German Emperor William II to abdicate, and the new German government tried to negotiate with the Allies to end the war.

All countries are busy dealing with internal affairs and mountainous military debts at this time. All battleships under construction and military supplies orders signed must be stopped to stabilize the gold content and gold reserves of their own currency. Only the Chinese Empire is still strengthening its preparations, and the same as Britain and France.

The United States and other countries have signed military material repurchase agreements to recover military material from European battlefields to maintain the Imperial Expeditionary Force's second preparations for war in Europe.

At this time, the empire was willing to be used as guns by Britain, France, the United States and other countries, actively provoking the Soviet Union and Russia. With the support of the Allies, they used the Soviet-German Brest Contract to send troops to the two countries in the name of ensuring the freedom of Poland and Ukraine**.

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At this time, China and the Soviet Union really no longer consider resolving the problem through consultation. The Soviet Red Army concentrated all its forces to eliminate the White Army at home, and the Imperial CSKA also stepped up the construction of fortifications and hoarding materials in the Novosibirsk area, and supported Russia's internal affairs.

The White Army delayed time.

As the situation continued to change, the Empire repeatedly adjusted its strategic plan and finally determined the start of the Sino-Soviet war in the middle of 1919. It was most appropriate to start the war around June. Before that, the Empire sent Artur.

General Martos and other Polish imperial staff officers formed a Chinese advisory group to provide Poland with army training and improvement plans.

Because the empire lacks the ability to send troops to Europe on a large scale and maintain supplies, it is unrealistic to rely entirely on Britain and France. The Polish army is not a very reliable military allies, and the empire's military deployment in Europe can only be to adopt elite main forces to assist Poland in combat.

The strategy was that after the end of World War I, the Empire reduced the Imperial Expeditionary Forces stationed in Eastern Europe to a scale of 600,000, while the garrisons stationed in the Middle East and Balkans were maintained at 150,000, and the Expeditionary Forces stationed in East Africa had only two new regiments.

In order to ensure that the Soviet Union could not attack Novosibirsk and Eastern Europe before the first half of 1919, the empire continued to support the White Army. Only some new regiments were dispatched to occupy disputed territory and Russia, and at the same time, a large number of new regiments were sent to Central Asia.

, expelled the Soviet Russian and White Army forces here.

On January 18, 1919, the Imperial Prime Minister Tang Shaoyi personally led a delegation to Paris to attend the Paris Peace Conference to be held at the Palace of Versailles. For Germany, the Empire did not require many war claims, and mainly paid war reparations to the Empire.

The countries are Austria and Hungary.

The mission of the Empire's trip is very simple, that is, to fight for war reparations as much as possible, to reduce the military pressure of the Empire when it attacked the Soviet Union at the same time, and to protect the protection of the Middle East occupied areas. Finally, the Empire fought for it from Germany in Asia.

to the colonies, and the Japanese delegation hoped to obtain all German colonies in Asia with the support of Britain.

Britain is obviously a country that goes against one's will. Until today, it is still dreaming of asking China to agree to the UK's continued lease of Hong Kong, rather than returning it to Hong Kong after the war as agreed as before, or even sending a foreign minister to Portugal for consultation. "Suggestion" that Portugal will not be returned.

Macao.

Britain tried its best to oppose China's occupation in the Middle East, although it agreed to this matter very early, and Britain's trick was to oppose the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire and try to sign a protection agreement with the Ottoman Empire. Put the entire Ottoman Empire in Britain

Under the protection of

France wants to dismantle Germany and strive for European land hegemony. Britain opposes dismantle Germany and wants to maintain the balance between Britain and Germany. China and France naturally become firm allies and support each other's goals. Although China in principle does not want Germany to be

It's too weakened.

There is no doubt that the most important victorious country is Britain and France, followed by China, the United States and Italy, and finally other allied countries. In order to achieve their goals, Britain also ranked Japan as one of the important victorious countries, and was on par with China, the United States and Italy, and fully revealed.

If you make a cheaper advantage, you will not let China succeed. At the same time, you will actively support China in going to war against the Soviet Union.

Therefore, Britain is a very rogue old empire, and this peace meeting was destined to be discussed for half a year or even longer from the beginning.

When European and American leaders were concentrating on quarrels in Paris, Song Biao stayed quietly at home, continued to carefully arrange combat plans and various preparations, and at the same time focused more on the advancement of some new weapons

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In March 1919, after the first Spring Festival after the end of World War I, Song Biao took a special train to Shanxi for inspection. An important goal of this trip was of course to inspect the Shanxi Iron and Steel Plant in the National Industrial Plan.

It can be said that it is a large-scale benefit from the promotion of World War I. The 175 National Industrial Plan has made a very smooth progress, which is much smoother than expected. At this time, the empire has established five large-scale steel industries.

The districts are located in the northeast, Zhili, Shanxi, Hubei and Shandong respectively.

The total iron ore reserves in Zhili are not only greater than those in the Northeast, but also have higher ore content. Especially the iron ore level in Handan is very good. The technology transferred from Germany has enabled China's steel industry to extract poor iron ore.

Capability, however, Zhongfu iron ore resources are obviously more conducive to reducing the cost of steelmaking.

It is not bad for poor iron ore, the key is that the cost is too high.

Zhili has currently established two large steel general factories, namely Luanzhou Iron and Steel General Factory and Handan Iron and Steel General Factory. However, these two steel general factories, like Shanxi Iron and Steel General Factory, actually belong to Far East Iron and Steel General Company.

After reaching an agreement with Shanghai Shangbang, Far East Steel Corporation transferred the main controlling position of Hanyeping Company to Jiangnan Industrial Corporation. At this point, two major steel giants have been basically formed in the country. The north is the territory of Far East Steel, but in Fuzhou

There are also investment in steel plants in other places. The Yangtze River is the territory of Hanyeping Company. At the same time, investment in steel plants in Laiwu, Shandong. There are also other steel companies across the country, including joint ventures, private capital and foreign capital, but the total scale is not as good as

Two giants, and Han Yeping is far inferior to Far East.

With huge investment from the Far East consortium and the joint ventures of local Shanxi merchants, Shanxi Iron and Steel Factory has not lacked funds or technology from the beginning.

This makes Shanxi's steel industry develop faster than Shandong, and through industrial support and transfer policies, a new Liaoshen Industrial Zone was quickly rebuilt in Taiyuan.

Considering the particularity of military industry, the Empire established the Shanxi Machinery Vehicle Factory here, which specialized in the production of armored vehicles. The Taiyuan Arsenal, which was equipped with it, also produced guns and cannons. The Empire State-owned Assets Administration held a part of the shares in both companies at the same time.

The bottom line of the business management of the two companies.

Shanxi is a good place, surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if the Northeast is lost, if Shanxi has a stronger military industry, it will continue to support the Imperial Army in combat.

Shanxi is also in the center of the north, which can support both the four northern provinces, Zhili, Northwest and Central Plains, and it is simply better to develop military industry here.

When he arrived in Shanxi, Song Biao went to Shanxi Machinery Vehicle Factory to inspect the new model of tank-4 tank, which is the tank designed by the Armored Vehicle Research Bureau of the Central Military Department. Combined with the advantages of the Whibit A-type tank and the ft-17 tank, the turret

Become bigger and flexible, and the armor is more reliable, because two more horsepower engines are used. The speed is still maintained at 14 kilometers per hour, but it has a more breakthrough compared to the Whipbit A-type tank.

progress.

Of course, if Song Biao personally took charge of the entire design work, the T-4 tank would obviously be more advanced and unique. But that is unnecessary. Song Biao does not want to produce too much of the development of the entire tank too early

Influence, overall, the T-4 tank is more like a large FT-17 tank, and is equipped with a 47mm gun, and the barrel diameter is longer.

Song Biao hopes to have a larger barrel. However, there are no ready-made 55mm or 60mm artillery in China. The temporarily developed 55mm tank gun technology is not yet mature, including the technical limitations of gasoline engines. For the time being, they can only continue to use 47mm tank guns.

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This kind of tank gun itself was copied from the basis of infantry cannons, but it has been made more modifications to adapt to the use of tanks. A major modification by the French was to cut off the diameter, while the Chinese were to modify it.

The diameter is slightly shortened to further enhance the range and power.

In order to adapt to this new design, the tank's turret was further moved slightly backward based on the ft-17 tank, which is more similar to modern tanks. Because the gasoline engine is very high, the two units take up space together, so they were moved to the back of the turret.

On the side, this leads to a problem, that is, the rotatable turret cannot be turned back and cannot be fired at the rear.

This requires full use of one advantage of the transmission design of Whibitt tank. Like Whibitt tanks, the T-4 tank can also rotate in place, which is the advantage of making full use of the two engines.

It has been half a year since the design and molding of the T-4 tank. After the military test, it has been adjusted again. It is currently produced in Taiyuan and Shenyang at the same time, which is conducive to Shenyang Automobile Company to manufacture more military trucks.

Overall, production capacity is still limited, and GM and Renault are both producing the same model of military trucks.

Military trucks at this stage may not be much better than later pickup trucks. They can only guarantee a transportation volume of about 1.5 tons at most. This is normal. You should know that France also used Renault's taxis as a means of transportation during World War I.

This kind of taxi is basically the same as Ford's T-type car, and can only transport five to six people, or more than 600 kilograms of supplies at a time.

The only good news is that the war is over and the price of rubber begins to fall sharply, allowing the Oriental military trucks produced in the Far East to use thicker rubber tires.

...

Really, World War I was really too powerful to China's industry, so big that it was unimaginable.

After inspecting Shanxi Machinery and Vehicle Factory and Iron and Steel Factory, Song Biao's only feeling was this. He was grateful from the bottom of his heart for the world war initiated by Germany and Austria.

After leaving Taiyuan, Song Biao continued to head south to Qi County.

During World War I, Shanxi merchants donated 14 million yuan in national debt to the empire, and donated funds for twenty heavy artillery and 40,000 rifles to the army. As the emperor, Song Biao always expressed his intention.

Thank you very much. Shanxi held a Shanxi merchant conference in Pingyao County this year. Song Biao took the initiative to unveil his congratulations in advance, which made the Shanxi merchants overjoyed.

Those who were overjoyed must be afraid, because the empire clearly has to continue to fight, and the emperor has come in person, and the Shanxi merchants may have to continue to donate government bonds. This puts a lot of pressure on all merchants.

The Shanxi Business Conference was originally planned to be held in Pingyao County, but Song Biao had to be in Qi County for some reason, so he chose to hold the Qiaojia Courtyard in Qi County. Song Biao took a train to Qi County that afternoon, and then he immediately

So I took a carriage to the Qiao family compound and lived in the Qiao family first.

The Qiao family was at its peak during the Qiao Zhiyong period. Qiao Zhiyong was also known as the richest man in the world. Later, Song Biao wrote a letter to the Qiao family, inviting them to develop in the Northeast and invest in industry. The Qiao family also went to invest at that time and contacted some

Shanxi merchants develop together, which should be said to be a bridge between the Northeast System and the Shanxi merchants.

After Qiao Zhiyong's old age, the Qiao family was always his third son Qiao Jingyan, responsible for the family business. During the past ten years, Qiao Jingyan and Song Biao also had several contacts, especially when Song Biao was the governor of the three eastern provinces. Later, with the recommendation of Yu Qiaqing, Qiao Jingyan

He also joined the Anglican Church, which is basically his own person. Qiao Jingyan's talent is also working. He basically invested with Yu Qiaqing and the Far East Consortium. The Qiao family's own industry is nothing more than minerals, leather and sugar making, and he also makes some

Many of the small businesses were small transactions abandoned by the Far East Consortium and sold them to the Qiao family for a discount.

Another thing that Song Biao wanted to come to Qiao's house was to stay here at night.

Regarding the establishment of a concubine, the General Administration of the Inner Court has been busy for two years. More than ten young women were selected in four batches to serve in the secretariat. The only person who was really attracted by Song Biao was a Shanxi girl named Qiao Wanting.

She is Qiao Jingyan's niece and is very beautiful. She has studied and painted in the Qiao family's private school with the children of the Qiao family since childhood. She is good at fine brushwork and ink painting, and is known for her love of painting plums. Qiao Jingyan also sent her to her through contact with her.

The secretariat chooses concubines.

Although Qiao Wanting is not a stunning beauty, she is also very beautiful. She has a graceful figure, an open-minded personality, and is good at painting. Because she has made a good plan, she has worked in the secretariat for a year.

Song Biao had a good impression of her. During several conversations with the General Administration of the Inner Court, she also thought it was very suitable for her. She also devoted herself to being the emperor's concubine, and this matter was done.

The process was very fast. From Song Biao's selection of Qiao Wanting to the concubine, it only took two months. During this inspection in Shanxi, Song Biao originally considered taking this concubine back to Qiao's house, which was also considered to have her return home.

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As a result, the young girl became pregnant quickly and stopped doing things as soon as she said that she was pregnant. She was obviously pregnant and didn't dare to let her take the train when she was pregnant. She had to stay in the capital to protect her fetus. Shu Xuan had always been outside the country.

Interested, let alone going to Qiao's house, Song Biao could only continue to tour Shanxi alone.

Qiao Family Courtyard is a very typical northern residential compound. Many famous film and television dramas such as "Big Red Lantern Hanging High" and "Qiao Family Courtyard" have started filming here. Back in 1919, they stood at this time.

The outside of the Qiao family courtyard will be a very special feeling.

History is cruel.
To be continued...