Chapter 1: The Start of Tianjin

  One morning in mid-July 1928, at the Tianjin Haihe Wharf, under the thin dawn light, troops were unloading many heavy wooden boxes from several large barges and then quickly loading them onto dozens of waiting trucks. Although the soldiers' loading and unloading speed was already very fast, military officers were still urging them on.

  The sky was still early, and the dockworkers had already come to the dock in twos and threes. However, they soon discovered that they had indeed arrived too early today, as they were blocked by hundreds of soldiers with armbands marked "Hebei Independent Mixed Brigade" outside the warning line. A few brave workers peeked inside and soon found that the work they were supposed to do had been taken over by a group of soldiers.

  The workers were quietly discussing among themselves. "Whose troops are these, the Hebei Pacification Independent Mixed Brigade? Are they also General Fu's troops?" The person who spoke was immediately met with a cold stare. "You don't even know this? These are Young Master Song's troops, Young Master Song, our Tianjin Garrison's master." The speaker didn't forget to raise their thumb after finishing speaking. Which Young Master Song? Of course, it's the young master of the late Old Master Song from the Zhenbang Dye Factory, also known as the commander of the original First Brigade of the Queue Commander. It's said that all the old and young masters of our Tianjin Garrison should be grateful to this young master. When General Sun Chuanfang was defeated by the Northern Expedition Army, he brought his remaining troops to our Tianjin Garrison. Thanks to this young master leading his troops to block them, they didn't let them in. Otherwise, the Northern Expedition Army would have arrived and we would have had a big battle right here in Tianjin Garrison. That's true, but what I said wasn't wrong either. The worker who was robbed of his white clothes continued speaking, "He is General Fu's troops, and General Fu is currently our Tianjin Garrison's garrison commander, all the troops in Tianjin Garrison are under his command." The speaker was met with another cold stare. "You don't even know this? It's said that the late Old Master Song had an old relationship with General Shang Zhen, the commander of the First Division of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, and General Shang is currently our Hebei Province governor. Young Master Song is under General Shang, and half a month ago, Young Master Song's troops started to move out, it's said they are stationed north of Baoding."

  The workers referred to as Song Shao Ye at this moment stood with a young foreigner beside a truck on the dock, surrounded by more than 10 young guards armed with bayonets. This Mr. Song was named Song Zhe Wu, courtesy name Wen Ge, 26 years old, 178 cm tall, with a slightly thin and angular face, slender build but muscular and powerful, typical of a military physique.

  This is the protagonist of this book, a transmigrator. Readers who often hang out at the starting point know that there are plane crash transmigrations, sea fall transmigrations, cliff jump transmigrations, and so on. And our protagonist is a sleep transmigrator.

  He was originally a chemical engineering master in the 21st century, but after waking up from a dream, he found himself back in 1926, possessing the body of a young man also named Song Zhe Wu. This Song Zhe Wu came from a wealthy family. His father had studied abroad in America and returned to China, but his official career was not smooth, so he abandoned his post and turned to business. Because of his open-minded thinking and deep desire to serve the country, he sent his two sons to study abroad at an early age, one to America and the other to Baoding Military Academy. Song Zhe Wu did not graduate from Baoding Military Academy before it was forced to close. He was then sent by his father to study military affairs at the Dresden Infantry Academy in Germany. After graduating with a strong desire to save the country, he returned home full of excitement, but soon after, his old father fell ill. His older brother Song Zhe Wen rushed back from America, and his old father passed away. Song Zhe Wu was overcome with grief and fainted on the spot, and when he woke up, he had become the transmigrated Song Zhe Wu.

  Dazed and confused, Song Zhe Wu followed his elder brother Song Zhe Wen and a group of managers under their father to complete the funeral ceremony for their father. After that, they visited their father's friends and acquaintances with Song Zhe Wen, including the current president of Yenching University in Beiping, Stuart Gelder, the infamous "Dog Meat General" Zhang Zongchang, and the German businessman Geitz. In Song Zhe Wu's past life memories, Stuart Gelder later became the US ambassador to China. The son of old Geitz, young Geitz, was a classmate of Song Zhe Wu in this life in Berlin. The Geitz family was a prominent family in Germany, with deep connections to many other influential families and Junker aristocrats. Young Geitz had come to Tianjin to take over for his father due to the limitations on military personnel in post-war Germany, which made it impossible for him to join the army.

  Along the way, as he delved deeper into the Song family's background, Song Zhe Wu gained a clearer understanding of his own path in life.

  From 1926 to 1936 was called the golden decade of domestic national industry and commerce development, in these ten years, China's national industry and commerce had a great leap forward, and the national strength also increased greatly. If the Anti-Japanese War broke out ten years later, perhaps the war would have been different.

  Since I've come to this era with a twist of fate, I must strive to change the destiny of my country and nation. But how should I proceed? Should I join the Communist Party now? No, it's 1926 and the Northern Expedition has just begun, the KMT and CPC are still collaborating. The CPC is too radical at this point, a situation that will persist until the Zunyi Conference, and won't change until Mao truly takes power in Shaanxi in 1936. Not to mention that by 1927, the split between the two parties would be inevitable, and with my background, I'd definitely be targeted in the party's internal purges. Joining the KMT is even more unthinkable; I know they're bound to fail, and I'm not foolish enough to end up in Taiwan for my twilight years. Is there a third way? After days of painful contemplation, Song Zhiwu finally decided to forge his own path. If it doesn't work out, he'll return to the organization's embrace early, ending the three-year civil war after the resistance and bringing peace to the Chinese nation sooner.

  After making the decision, Big Brother Song Zhe-wen found him and said that he had industries in the United States, and all the start-up funds were given by his father, and he had already divided up the property in advance. Now all the family property belongs to Song Zhe-wu, and he doesn't want a single cent. Song Zhe-wu was moved by the brotherly affection at the same time, but firmly opposed it, saying that he needed money, and needed a lot of money, but dividing up the family property like this wouldn't do!

  In Song Zhe-wen's hesitation, Song Zhe-wu reservedly expressed his thoughts to his elder brother. After a day of consideration, Song Zhe-wen firmly supported his younger brother's ideals. Thereafter, the two brothers disregarded the advice of their relatives and friends, and except for keeping the silk factory, dyeing factory, and flour mill, they liquidated all other businesses from jewelry stores to cartwheel shops, as well as the antiques stored at home. The millions of dollars obtained were left with 8 million for Song Zhe-wu, and the rest was taken by Song Zhe-wen to invest in the United States.

  After Song Zhiwen left, Song Zhiwu soon found General Zhang Zongchang and expressed his desire to join the military and serve the country. As Song's father had provided financial assistance to him several times while he was alive, Zhang could not refuse his request and immediately gave Song a position as a colonel advisor. When Song asked to lead an army on his own and train a force similar to the German Army, Zhang expressed difficulty due to logistical constraints. Eventually, Song offered 500,000 yuan and promised to cover any remaining expenses for equipment and supplies out of his own pocket, with the troops under his command following Zhang's orders. Zhang then appointed Song as commander of the newly formed First Mixed Brigade and allocated some guns and ammunition to him.

  After getting the number, Song Zhiwu did not follow the previous mode of recruiting officers first and then recruiting soldiers. Instead, he did both at the same time, which took some time. On the one hand, he arranged for people to recruit soldiers, and on the other hand, he sent telegrams or personally invited classmates and friends. At that time, wars were raging everywhere, and there were many refugees. In addition, Song Zhiwu offered a military salary much higher than other troops, 3 taels of silver per month, which quickly recruited 18,000 soldiers. At the same time, the framework for high-ranking officers was also established. A fully manned mixed brigade had only over 8,000 people, and 18,000 people at that time could be organized into two divisions, with personnel far exceeding the quota. Since he didn't have to pay for his own salary and equipment, Zhang Zongchang was too lazy to manage him, as long as he listened to orders.

  Xiao Guodong, the chief of staff and commander of the instructional regiment, Liang Fang, the artillery commander, Zhang Yafei, the commander of the 1st Regiment, Gao Zongbao, the commander of the 2nd Regiment, Zhang Tao, the commander of the 3rd Regiment, Wei Guanghui, the commander of the cavalry battalion, Wu Jin, the commander of the logistics battalion, and Wang Xu, the commander of the communications battalion. Xiao Guodong, Liang Fang, and Wang Xu were all classmates of Song Zhiwu in Germany, studying infantry, artillery, and communications respectively. Zhang Yafei, Gao Zongbao, Zhang Tao, Wu Jin, and Wei Guanghui were all classmates of Song Zhiwu at the Baoding Military Academy.

  In terms of weapons, the more than 2,000 rifles allocated by Zhang Zongchang were not even considered by Song Zhiwu. Most of these rifles had worn-out rifling and several hundred were old-fashioned muzzle-loaders. It was a real headache for Song Zhiwu to decide which weapons to use. Ideally, he would have liked to equip his troops with German-made weapons. However, German weapons had a high degree of automation and consumed too much ammunition. Once the war began, it was feared that there would not be enough ammunition. From the beginning of the military buildup, everything had to be geared towards preparing for war. After much deliberation, Song Zhiwu finally decided to use Japanese-made Type 38 rifles and Czech-made ZB26 machine guns. As for heavy machine guns, he preferred American M2 heavy machine guns, which were still in use by some countries until the 1980s. He also chose German-made 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortars, as well as 75mm mountain guns. Additionally, he needed to acquire P18 submachine guns. To purchase these weapons, he had to find a foreign arms dealer, and almost all of the major dealers were secretly smuggling weapons at that time. Song Zhiwu naturally went to see Little Gatz.

  When Song Zhe Wu handed over the list of weapons and ammunition, excluding rifles, to Little Gaitz, Little Gaitz was shocked and exclaimed. "My god! Song, you have an army corps." Song Zhe Wu burst out laughing at Little Gaitz's exaggerated expression and said happily, "There will be, and not just one corps." After Little Gaitz regained his composure, he said with difficulty, "But I can't meet your requirements all at once. You're asking for too much." "It doesn't matter, you can give it to me in batches. My current team is still far from the German standard."

  After discussing the details with Xiao Gezi, Song Zhiwu went to see Zhang Zongchang. The Japanese military's standard weapons were not easily sold. Zhang Zongchang had a close relationship with the Japanese and was the only one who could make it happen. After paying 20 million yuan, Song Zhiwu quickly obtained 16,000 rifles and 100 million rounds of ammunition. Although he knew he had been cheated, there was no way out, and he had to let Zhang Zongchang gain some benefits.

  After the gun problem was basically solved, Song Zhe Wu convened the first plenary meeting of the military after its establishment with his only few officers. He detailed his purpose of building the army, the standard concept of building the army to a few people. Of course, his true thoughts were still reserved, and it was not time to reveal everything to them yet.

  Among these people, Xiao Guodong, Liang Fang and Wang Xu returned to China after serving in Sun Chuanfang's troops. The others served in various warlord troops, with the highest rank being lieutenant colonel. As soon as they arrived at Song Zhiwu's place, they were all promoted to colonel or above. Although their ranks were secondary, the key was that they all believed they would gain full trust under Song Zhiwu, and several of them were young people in their 20s who were full of passion and hope for building a team with their own hands. They resolutely followed Song Zhiwu's requirements and quickly trained the troops well.

  Finally, Song Zhe-wu emphasized four requirements. 1. Cannot rush for time and cut corners in training. 2. Strengthen discipline [basically a version of the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention]. 3. Strengthen bayonet skills. 4. All military officers are absolutely not allowed to deduct military pay, if they need money, ask him for it, but absolutely do not touch the military pay.

  After a year of hard work, by the end of 1927, the troops had basically taken shape. With the arrival of various weapons, the whole brigade initially possessed combat effectiveness.

  The year was a tumultuous one, with the 4.12 incident followed by the August 1 Nanchang Uprising, the Autumn Harvest Uprising, and the Guangzhou Uprising. Song Zhiwu, although focused on military training in Tianjin, remained deeply concerned about the domestic situation. He worried that his presence had altered the course of history. He knew that his greatest advantage in this world was his knowledge of historical events, allowing him to anticipate the footsteps of history and make choices before top historical figures. If history changed due to his arrival, he would lose this advantage, and in an era where elites emerged, he would soon be engulfed by the waves of history.

  With the 4.12 incident, Zhang Zuolin was killed in an explosion at his home in Shenyang's Huanggutun, a historical event that Song Zhiwu had been familiar with since middle school. Finally, he put his mind at ease - history had not changed because of this butterfly effect, or at least it hadn't yet.

  During the two subsequent Northern Expeditions, Song Zheyu tried every means to keep his troops from being deployed on the front lines. As soon as Zhang Zuochang left Tianjin, Song Zheyu quickly contacted Shang Zhen, who was then the commander of the First Division of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army, through Xiao Gezi, expressing his intention to surrender to the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army on the condition that he could retain his troops and join Shang's division. Xiang Guodong and others were perplexed, believing they should join the Central Army or, at the very least, the Northwestern Army, as no one had a good impression of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army. In the end, everyone agreed to follow Song Zheyu's arrangements after he insisted on his plan.

  Yan Xishan was overjoyed upon receiving Shang Zhen's report and immediately assigned the designation of Hebei Independent Mixed Brigade to Song Zheyu's troops in the name of Commander-in-Chief of the Third Group Army. He also informed Shang Zhen that he had already reported to the Central Government, intending to appoint Shang Zhen as Chairman of Hebei Province, although Song's unit was not incorporated into the First Division, it would still be under his jurisdiction as Provincial Chairman. However, Song's troops must leave Tianjin and be resettled in Hebei by Shang Zhen. Upon receiving the news, Song Zheyu immediately expressed his agreement and voluntarily requested to garrison at Laiyuan.

  Song Zhiwu chose Lixian for several reasons. Firstly, he had always thought that Shanxi was the best place to base himself for his future resistance against Japan. Shanxi is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Taihang Mountains and Zhongtiao Mountains serving as natural barriers. To the west, it is separated from Shaanxi Province by the Yellow River, making it relatively closed off and easy to defend but difficult to attack. It has long been known for its strategic location, which would make it an ideal base for his future resistance against Japan. Unfortunately, during the war, Yan Xishan had handed over such a good place to the Japanese, which was a great pity. Lixian is located in the Taihang Mountains area and is a transportation hub of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces, making it an ideal stepping stone for entering Shanxi in the future. Secondly, during the war, when facing the powerful Japanese army, only troops familiar with mountain warfare could stand up to them. Therefore, his troops had to be trained in mountain warfare. The Taihang Mountains were an ideal place for such training.

  "Report, all materials have been loaded onto vehicles, quantities are correct, awaiting instructions."

  The report interrupted Song Zhe Wu's thoughts. The one who came to report was the captain of the 3rd battalion, Zhang Tao. At this time, all the supplies on the barge had been loaded onto trucks, and the soldiers were forming up under the shouts of their officers.

  Next to him, Little Geitz handed over a contract. "Song, you can sign for this now." Song Zhe Wu took the contract and hastily signed it before handing it back to Little Geitz. "Captain Zhang, the 3rd battalion will immediately follow the supplies to Taiyuan. Upon arrival, everything will be arranged by the Chief of Staff." "Yes," because the departure time had been previously arranged, the commander saluted and turned around to arrange his troops, also sending someone to notify the other battalions to depart together.

  After the fleet left the dock, Song Zhe Wu smiled and said to Xiao Ge Zi: "I'll set off at 9 o'clock sharp, I still have some things to deal with, I'll go first." "Okay, after I've finished dealing with the dock's affairs, I'll come see you off." The two had been together for many years and didn't stand on ceremony. Song Zhe Wu took the reins handed over by the guard, mounted his horse, gently kicked its belly with both legs, and galloped out of the dock with the guards.