The actions of the Southern Army soon reached Yuan Shikai's ears. Yuan Shikai was frightened when he heard that the Southern Army had made major moves recently, so he quickly summoned his aides to convene a meeting to discuss the response.

Tang Shaoyi, one of Yuan Shikai's important think tanks, will definitely participate, and the other Zhao Bingjun and Liang Shiyi, who Yuan Shikai trusted in particular, were also present, but Xu Shichang, who was returned from Jiangsu, disappeared.

Yuan Shikai swept the think tanks of the staff present, but he didn't see Xu Shichang. He was displeased and asked, "Where is Xu Shichang? Why didn't he come? He didn't report his duties to me after he came back from Jiangsu?"

Xu Shichang has always been Yuan Shikai's military advisor, but since Yuan Shikai became the Grand Marshal of the Qing Dynasty, Xu Shichang's attitude has been ambiguous. At the time, Yuan Shikai did not attend the ceremony of taking office as Grand Marshal of the Navy and Army, and he did not give Yuan Shikai face. Yuan Shikai has been tolerant of this because Xu Shichang was his sworn brother. He did not expect that such an important thing would not come today!

Last year, Feng Guozhang surrendered to the enemy. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening, Yuan Shikai sent Xu Shichang to the southern frontline as the governor. What Yuan Shikai did not expect was that as soon as Xu Shichang left Jingzhou, Wang Shizhen was defeated and died.

Although Xu Shichang is known as the governor, Yuan Shikai knew that Xu Shichang was already dissatisfied with him, and Ren Governor was just a formality.

What made Yuan Shikai puzzled was why Xu Shichang, who was his first military advisor, had such great changes. He had no sense of closeness as he had when he was a sworn brother, but instead the distance between the two became farther and farther.

When Tang Shaoyi saw Yuan Shikai asking a question, he picked up a package from beside him, walked to Yuan Shikai, and said, "Master General, this is Lord Xu's official seal, and a letter he gave you."

Yuan Shikai felt something was wrong, so he opened the package and opened the letter. After reading it for a moment, his face changed drastically. After that, he became furious and threw the letter and the package to the ground.

When everyone in the hall saw Yuan Shikai getting angry, they were so nervous that they couldn't speak. Only Tang Shaoyi stepped forward and advised: "What did Lord Xu say to make the general so angry?"

Yuan Shikai said with a angrily sigh: "Retreat? He actually wants to retire? Did he forget who sponsored him to go to Beijing to take the exam and who promoted him from the Hanlin Academy? Now it is the time when I am employed, but he wants to learn from Tao Yuanming to retire to the countryside. It really makes me feel disappointed!"

When Tang Shaoyi heard Yuan Shikai scolding Xu Shichang, the conversation he and Xu Shichang were suddenly heard in his ears when they were drinking in the pavilion at home on the eve.

During this period, Tang Shaoyi raised his glass and asked, "Brother Bu Wu, why have you gradually alienated from Lord Yuan since he took office as the Grand Marshal? At this time, the civil war between the north and the south is the time to use people. Why are you not concerned about some things?"

Xu Shichang disagreed and shook his head and drank wine and said with a smile: "You can only show your wisdom if you retreat bravely!"

"Oh? What's the solution?" Tang Shaoyi asked afterwards.

Xu Shichang laughed to the sky: "Everyone has ambition. If there are many people who are determined to be the hometown of immortals and Buddhas, the country will be weak; if there are many people who are determined to be sages, the country will be governed; if there are many people who are determined to be emperors, the country will be in chaos."

"It turns out that Brother Bu Wu had seen it a long time ago!" Tang Shaoyi empathized with it.

Xu Shichang smiled bitterly and said, "Shaochuan, do you know? I was very disappointed with him, really disappointed. He is no longer the original Weiting. I have always been following the leader of Weiting and giving advice for it, and I was confused. But the result of my efforts to assist was unexpected!"

"Weiting's patriotism at that time has long disappeared. He only knows that he has fully managed his Yuan family and is trying to usurp the throne. If he does not part ways at this time, he will have to join forces and bear the eternal infamousness. It is better to leave as a good memory, haha..." Xu Shichang laughed freely and heartily, and he didn't mind the sudden gap between changing from a high-ranking minister to a civilian commoner.

"This is my official seal and letter. I hope you can pass it over to Yuan Shikai. I will live in seclusion in the fields tomorrow and live a hermit life, haha." Xu Shichang immediately handed Tang Shaoyi a package.

Tang Shaoyi took the package and nodded, "Don't worry, Brother Bu Wu, I will definitely hand over the letter and seal to Weiting!"

After saying that, Xu Shichang stood up and left, leaving a sentence for Tang Shaoyi to ponder for a long time, "It is not advisable to stay here for a long time!"

Tang Shaoyi's thoughts instantly returned to the present. Seeing that Yuan Shikai was still angry, he advised: "Weiting, maybe Bu Wu really has difficulties! He is just returning to the countryside, not joining the Southern Army, and he still has the opportunity to ask him out of the mountain in the future."

When Yuan Shikai heard this, he felt that what Tang Shaoyi said was still somewhat reasonable. Due to the urgent situation of the war, he did not pursue Xu Shichang anymore. Then he began to discuss with everyone about dealing with the Southern Army.

There is a huge map on the wall behind Yuan Shikai. On the map, there are many red marks on the coastal areas from Jiangsu to Shandong.

Yuan Shikai pointed to the red markings on the wall and said, "Everyone has noticed that many coastal areas from Jiangsu to Shandong have been violently bombarded by the Beiyang Fleet, but the Beiyang Fleet only invited shelling and did not land directly. Let's discuss, what is the purpose of the Beiyang Fleet doing this?"

Liang Shiyi pondered for a moment and spoke first, saying: "I think the purpose of the Beiyang Fleet is to test the true strength of the Beiyang New Army in Lu and Zhejiang provinces. On the map, you can clearly see that the range of the Beiyang Fleet's firepower range is mostly on the coastline of the Beiyang New Army's dense military forces. I think the Beiyang Fleet intends to test the areas where the coastal defense forces of the two provinces are relatively weak, and then land directly."

Although Yuan Shikai did not make any comments on the surface, he shook his head in his heart. This answer was not the answer in his heart. Among so many people, Yuan Shikai was the one who truly understood Tang Jian better.

The strategic intentions of the Beiyang New Army that Liang Shiyi just mentioned have some truth, but this is not the usual style of Tang Jian's marching operations.

Tang Jian's use of troops is strange, and he emphasizes his surprise. It is definitely not this kind of steady and steady playing style. His strategic intentions are not as simple as it seems.

Zhao Bingjun said: "Master, I don't think the Beiyang Fleet cannon bombardment of Lu and Zhejiang provinces as a single incident. This may be the Southern Army's plan to attack the east and west. It is likely that the real threat to us is their army."

Yuan Shikai reluctantly pointed and said, "What Zhi'an said is still a little bit reasonable. I just got news from the front line that Nie Shicheng, a unit of the Southern Army, disappeared south of the Qinling Mountains not long ago."

"More than 80,000 people disappeared south of the Qinling Mountains?" Everyone present took a breath.

"This is Tang Jian's cleverness!" Yuan Shikai sighed.

At this time, Tang Shaoyi interrupted and said, "What a move to attack the east and west! The Beiyang Fleet continues to shell Lu and Zhejiang provinces, which put a lot of pressure on Zhili. Regardless of whether the Beiyang Fleet will land in these two provinces, the Beiyang Fleet does put a lot of pressure on Zhili and Beijing. In case of precautions, the general must have mobilized heavy troops to defend Lu, Zhejiang provinces, Zhili and Tianjin and other places to take it seriously. However, the real purpose of the Southern Army may not be Lu and Zhejiang provinces, but Zhili!"

"What? Zhili? Lord Tang meant that Nie Shicheng's troops would cross the Qinling Mountains, enter Xianyang, then follow the Fen River Plain, go straight to Taiyuan, and finally arrive in Zhili?" Liang Shiyi said in surprise.

Tang Shaoyi nodded affirmatively: "It's entirely possible!"

As soon as Tang Shaoyi finished speaking, everyone turned their attention to Yuan Shikai, hoping that Yuan Shikai would comment on this view.

Yuan Shikai also nodded, affirming Tang Shaoyi's thought: "What Shaochuan said makes sense. Tang Jian is good at using the strange soldiers, and Nie Shicheng's 80,000 army is likely to take this route."

"But, cross the Qinling Mountains, enter Xianyang, turn to the Fenhe Plain, and arrive at Taiyuan, Shanxi. The area is dangerous and the journey is more than a thousand miles. Didn't Nie Shicheng ask for trouble?" Liang Shiyi asked in confusion.

Yuan Shikai snorted coldly and said, "This is Tang Jian's cleverness. I have heavy troops in the five provinces of Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Shandong. If Tang Jian's southern army wants to go north along Henan or Anhui, the local Beiyang New Army will block it layer by layer. Even if Nie Shicheng's Western Front Army finally arrived in Zhili, he consumed most of the elite troops on the way north and could no longer compete with the 50,000 Beiyang New Army elites in Zhili."

Liang Shiyi quickly patted his head and apologized: "I am stupid, I am stupid!"

Yuan Shikai said: "Next, on the one hand, we must beware of the Beiyang Fleet landing in Shandong and Zhejiang provinces. On the other hand, I will mobilize some new troops from Henan to Taiyuan to snipe Nie Shicheng's troops!"

At this time, Tang Shaoyi suddenly placed his eyes on Qinhuangdao next to Shanhaiguan. He suddenly had a strange premonition that this might not be Tang Jian's plan to attack the east and the west, but a two-pronged approach.

Tang Shaoyi felt that Qinhuangdao was very likely the real landing place for the Beiyang Fleet. Tang Shaoyi looked up at Yuan Shikai who was still talking in the stands, shook his head lightly, and just whispered: "The Battle between Mongolian, Song and Jin!" Then he buried this thought deeply in his heart.

...

In April 1904, Nie Shicheng's Western Front Expeditionary Force successfully arrived in Xianyang. Nie Shicheng's troops encountered some symbolic resistance in Shaanxi and easily captured Xianyang.

Since Yuan Shikai placed the military centers in the plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, there was not much military force in Xianyang, Shaanxi, and only 5,000 Beiyang New Army and 3,000 civil defense regiments combined, which was only more than 10,000.

Therefore, Nie Shicheng easily captured Xianyang in less than half a day, and the 80,000 elite troops in the Southern Army were not even damaged at all. It can be described as a long journey straight into the military operation of moving into Xianyang.

Standing on the ancient city tower of Xianyang City, Feng Guozhang sighed: "This is Xianyang, the starting point for Qin Shihuang to unify the six kingdoms!"

Nie Shicheng said to himself: "Xianyang is located in the '800-mile Qinchuan' and is the first imperial capital of China. It is located in the middle of the Guanzhong Plain, on the north bank of the Wei River, and south of Jiuji Mountain. Because the mountains, south and north waters are both Yang, it is called Xianyang."
Chapter completed!