"Serve the country with loyalty, sacrifice one's life for righteousness, and defend the airspace of the motherland to the death!" Dozens of pilots shouted exciting slogans and boarded the plane one after another.

The BF109 driven by Zhang Xinghua was the first to start. After ground inspection preparations were completed, it drove out of the apron and accelerated along the runway toward the end.

When the speed increased to a certain level, as Zhang Xinghua slowly pulled up, the plane began to take off and successfully flew into Lan Yao.

...When Zhang Xinghua returned to the headquarters from the airport, he saw that Jiang Baili and Zhao Zhenfan had abnormal expressions on their faces.

Before he could ask, Zhao Zhenfan came up to him when he saw him, and said with a somewhat unnatural expression: "Commander, you are back."

"Guoping, what's wrong? What happened?" Zhang Xinghua asked.

"I just got the news that Puyi, the former Qing Emperor in Japan, was the head of state and announced the establishment of the Manchu Empire in the Northeast." Zhao Zhenfan said with a serious expression.

"What? The Manchu Empire?" Zhang Xinghua was shocked when he heard this.

"Yes." Jiang Baili took over the words and said: "In fact, even if the Japanese support the puppet regime, they use Puyi as a puppet to achieve their plot of actually controlling our three northeastern provinces."

It turned out that in the past four months, the Japanese Kwantung Army gradually consolidated the occupied areas. The anti-Japanese volunteers such as Mazhanshan and Zhao Zhenhe in Heilongjiang were defeated one after another. Zhao Zhenhe and his remaining troops disappeared, and Mazhanshan retreated into the Soviet Union.

After nearly half a year of preparation, Japan announced to the world in Dalian the establishment of the Manchu Empire, with Puyi as the ruler of Manchuria.

When the Manchu Empire was established, the emperor Puyi announced to the world that the so-called strategic alliance between Japan and Manchuria was openly used as a puppet and lackey by Japan. However, the Manchu Empire at this time was slightly different from that in history. , due to the presence of Zhang Xinghan's Northeastern New Army in Tongliao, the Japanese did not dare to set the capital of Puyi in Changchun, which was less than 500 miles away from Tongliao. Instead, Gulin, the provincial capital of Gulin, was renamed Xinjing, and Gulin was officially the capital.

In addition to choosing the ancient forest farther away from Tongliao, the Japanese also helped Puyi to recruit members of the former Northeastern military and political affairs, including Yu Zhishan, Xi Qia, Zhang Jinghui, and the Han army led by Gu Xing, to form the puppet Manchu emperor* *.

At the same time, several divisions of the Japanese army were deployed along the South Manchuria Railway and the North Manchuria Railway, and a large number of civilians were forced to build a large number of permanent defenses to guard against Zhang Xinghan's Northeastern New Army.

It has been reported that Japan openly supported Puyi in establishing the Manchu Empire in the Northeast and divided the inherent territory of the Chinese nation, which immediately aroused strong opposition from 40 million Chinese compatriots.

Countless foreigners in hundreds of large and medium-sized cities on both sides of the Pass and in hundreds of large and medium-sized cities inside and outside the Yangtze River spontaneously organized demonstrations and protests, petitioning the government to send troops to the Northeast to conquer the Manchu and Mongolian rebellion, regain lost territory, and defend the territorial integrity and national dignity of the Chinese nation.

However, at this time, the national government could not take any other practical action except to lodge strong diplomatic protests and refuse to recognize Puyi's Manchu and Mongolian Empire.

Send troops to the Northeast? Don't be ridiculous. Not to mention that there are many warlords in North China, and the orders of the national government cannot cross the Yellow River. Even in the south, Chairman Chiang has not figured it out yet.

In the headquarters, Huang Xiansheng said sadly: "The Japanese have gone too far, and the country is so cowardly and incompetent. It is really a pity!"

Zhang Xinghan pondered for a long time, looked at Jiang Baili and others, and said: "Send the order, all the soldiers of our Northeastern New Army will prepare for war immediately, to conquer the puppet Manchukuo for the country and the nation. At the same time, the whole country will be electrified. The Northeastern New Army will only have one shot. We will never sit back and watch the establishment of the Puppet Manchukuo, and all the soldiers of the Northeast New Army will safeguard the country’s territorial integrity and defend the national dignity of our Chinese nation at all costs!”

"I think it is possible. Our new army has just formed and is in need of actual combat training. We just use this excuse to send troops. Now the compatriots across the country are filled with indignation. We will definitely gain great support and prestige by sending troops." Jiang Baili nodded in agreement.

"Chief of Staff, I'll leave the conquest message to you. Let's discuss the specific troop dispatch plan first," Zhang Xinghan said.

"I wonder what the commander has planned?" Jiang Baili asked.

"Gu Lin is the capital of the Puppet Manchukuo State. As the saying goes, to capture the thief first, capture the king. I decided to lead my new army in a strategic assault to bypass Japan's railway defense line, penetrate directly into Gu Lin, and first capture the so-called bullshit capital of Puyi. "Zhang Xinghan said without thinking.

"This is the best. If we can capture Gulin, it will definitely deal a serious blow to the Japanese and puppet troops. It is the most effective way to prevent the establishment of the puppet Manchukuo." Jiang Baili paused and said: "However, the Japanese are now here. A large number of troops have been deployed along the railway, and it will not be easy to break through and attack the ancient forest!"

"I have my own plan for this." Zhang Xinghan said with a mysterious smile.

…………Three days later, Zhang Xinghan, Jiang Baili, Zhao Zhenfan, Huang Xiansheng, and Wang Yizhe jointly issued a telegram statement to the whole country, saying that they would conduct military operations to conquer the puppet Manchukuo, resolutely defend national sovereignty, and eliminate any attempt to split China. Enemy invasion of territory….

The joint telegram has been sent out, and the whole country is excited. The reputation of Zhang Xinghan and his Northeastern New Army has once again reached an unprecedented height.

…………Nanjing, Jiang Gong’s residence.

The chief of guard carefully read the telegram statement from Zhang Xinghan and others to Chairman Chiang Kai-shek.

After the Anti-Japanese War in Songhu, Jiang Zhongzheng was elected by Wang Jingwei and officially served as chairman of the Chinese National Government Military Commission, thus beginning a situation in which Wang was in charge and Chiang was in charge of the army.

Chairman Jiang quietly listened to Wang Shihe's report. After a long silence, he said: "I understand."

After saying this, he waved his hand and signaled Wang Shihe to leave.

At this moment, Chairman Chiang's mood was complicated. He was relieved that there was only Zhang Xinghan, a general who was resisting in the Northeast, and he even acquiesced in the fact that Zhang Xinghan led his troops to send a telegram to march against the puppet Manchukuo to quell the rebellion.

But on the other hand, Chairman Chiang is inevitably a little uncomfortable. In the past six months, Zhang Xinghan has emerged in the Northeast, winning successive battles against Japan, and gained extremely high political prestige. His personal political prestige and limelight Even overshadowing him as a leader.

No one can deal with this calmly.

Therefore, Chairman Chiang was caught in a contradiction in his thinking. He not only hoped that Zhang Xinghan could continue to contain and consume the Japanese forces in the Northeast, so that he would be unable to spy on the pass, but he was also deeply afraid that a second local warlord of the Zhang family would appear in the Northeast.

However, considering the lesser of the two, Chairman Chiang decided to sit back and let Zhang Xinghan worry about the Northeast and Japan.

At the worst possible outcome, after consolidating Guan Nei, there will be another Northern Expedition and a full-scale war with Japan. At this time, Jiang Gong does not have much confidence, but in dealing with these domestic warlords, especially in political games, Principal Jiang is still somewhat confident.

……………………Beiping, Marshal’s Mansion.

Zhang Xueliang was very angry at the moment and was throwing things in the study.

Zhang Xueliang was extremely angry and depressed at the moment. Since the September 18th Incident, he and Zhang Xinghan have almost become representatives of the good and the bad.

Of course the negative one is him, and the positive one is Zhang Xinghan.

Because all Zhang Xinghan's actions were contrary to him, his actions highlighted all the shortcomings of Zhang Xueliang.

Now, Puyi, a bastard, is trying to build some bullshit Manchu Empire on his own territory with the support of the Japanese, and Zhang Xinghan immediately issued a call to send troops to conquer.

In a sense, Zhang Xinghan's actions were a slap in Zhang Xueliang's face.

So after hearing the news, Marshal Zhang was angry and ashamed. With no choice but to take it out on his four treasures of the study.

………………………… Dalian Lushun, Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters.

After the Battle of Jehol, Muto Nobuyoshi moved his headquarters back to Lushun.

In the headquarters, Nobuyoshi Muto put down the newspaper in his hand, raised his head and said to Chief of Staff Hashimoto Toranosuke: "Hashimoto-kun, what do you think about this matter?"

"General, there is no need to worry. After several months of emergency repairs, various departments of the imperial army have learned from the reasons for previous failures and based on the combat characteristics of Zhang Xinghan's department, they have built a large number of permanent defenses at important city strongholds along the South Manchuria Railway.

, and formed a mobile force with a large number of armed armored vehicles to establish a complete defense line.

China's attempt to break through the imperial army's railway defense line is absolutely wishful thinking." Hashimoto Toranosuke said.

Muto Nobuyoshi nodded and ordered: "We still need to inform all the troops of the imperial army to be vigilant, take strict precautions, and ensure safety along the railway. The base camp is currently studying how to eliminate Zhang Xinghan's resistance army in the next stage.

Our current task is to ensure the security of Manchukuo except Tongliao, so that it can become a production base that can continuously provide coal, steel, cotton, and food for the Japanese Empire."

"Hai!" Hashimoto Toranosuke immediately lowered his head and responded, then turned and left.

……………………………… Tongliao, New Army base area.

Zhang Xinghan started preparations before the power was released. By now, 50,000 New Army soldiers had completed their assembly, and supplies such as food and ammunition were ready.

After discussions with Jiang Baili, Huang Xiansheng and others, Zhang Xinghan decided to form an armored mobile force with the first and second motorized infantry divisions and the armored brigade, which he would personally command and lead to implement the strategic attack on Gulin.

Jiang Baili led the Third Motorized Infantry Division south from Qinglong Mountain and pretended to attack Zhangwu and other places. The Fourth Motorized Infantry Division stayed at the Tongliao base and was responsible for supporting the Third Motorized Infantry Division.

On the battlefield, hundreds of tanks, armored vehicles, military trucks, and motorcycles were parked neatly together, and tens of thousands of New Army officers and soldiers were fully armed and on standby.

On the rostrum, Zhang Xinghan saluted Huang Xiansheng, Jiang Baili and others: "Deputy division commander, chief of staff, take care of everything!"

"Commander, take care!" Huang Xiansheng said in return.
Chapter completed!