Chapter 16: The Eve of the Great War

  Chiang principal extorted a batch of weapons and equipment, but in exchange for long-term comfort. Principal Chiang did not make an issue of Sun Xinghua's private recruitment and private replacement of troops, but instead often came to the third battalion for inspection, almost once a week.

  Sun Xinghua's duties as an instructor were completely set aside, and he rarely went to Whampoa Island to teach classes. Most of the time, he was in the military camp, directing four company commanders to conduct training.

  Even if the above is not mentioned, the atmosphere of war has been getting closer and closer. The originally bustling Guangzhou has become restless again, especially in 1925, Chen Jiongming's plan to attack Guangzhou and overthrow the revolutionary government had spread throughout the city.

  "Colonel, have you heard? Chen Jiongming has mobilized 70,000 troops and plans to attack Guangzhou." Cai Guangjiu furrowed his brow as he walked over from outside, looking at Sun Xinghua.

  "Don't listen to outside rumors. Back then, Cao Cao had only over 200,000 troops, but he dared to claim 800,000. Chen Jiongming has six armies with over 70,000 troops, but if they want to attack Guangzhou, they must leave their elite forces to guard the rear. In that case, will there be 70,000 troops attacking Guangzhou?" Sun Xinghua said disapprovingly, of course he was clear about it beforehand, Chen Jiongming didn't gain any advantage in this battle.

  On the contrary, Cai Guangju and others did not know the outcome of this time. However, they were clear about the current strength of Guangzhou. The troops of Yang Ximin and Liu Zhenhuan would never stand with the Party army, and only Xu Chongzhi's Guangdong Army stood with the Party army. Relying solely on the Guangdong Army and the Party army to face a large army of 70,000 was quite difficult.

  Moreover, Chen Jiongming's troops were not soft persimmons either. Upon hearing this news, these people couldn't help but feel some worry. However, Sun Xinghua knew the outcome of the war beforehand, so he naturally wouldn't be worried about anything.

  "There is some truth to that, but I still have some concerns. After Premier Sun went north, Yang and Liu had ulterior motives, if they intervene, we..." Cai Guangjiu said with a worried face.

  Sun Xinghua shook his head, looking at Cai Guangju and said: "They are just a bunch of mice, they don't dare to make trouble at this time, but it's hard to say what will happen in the future. What we need to do now is not to worry about these problems, but to focus on training our troops. Once the war starts, our troops will be used as the main force. The second battalion has just been formed, and I'm afraid the main attack task will still fall on our first battalion. Compared with the other two battalions, our troops are strong and well-equipped."

  Sun Xinghua didn't continue speaking, and Cai Guangjie understood what Sun meant. He kept the three regiments as a sharp sword that wouldn't be used unless He Yingqin was an idiot.

  In January 1925, the warlord Chen Jiongming's troops, who were stationed in Huizhou, Chaozhou and Shantou, with the support of British imperialists and Beiyang warlord Duan Qirui, took advantage of Sun Yat-sen's trip to Beijing to decide on the national capital, and proclaimed himself "Commander-in-Chief of the Guangdong Salvation Army". In Shantou, he convened a military meeting, with his 7 armies and over 60,000 troops, attacking the revolutionary base in Guangzhou, deploying defensive lines near Shilong and Dongguan, preparing to attack Guangzhou at any time from the Boro, Shilong and Shitang line, attempting to destroy the revolutionary government.

  For a time, the mountain rain is coming and the wind is full of buildings. The revolutionary base in Guangdong was not yet consolidated, and the greatest threat to the revolutionary regime came from the warlord Chen Jiongming's forces that occupied the areas of Huizhou, Chaozhou, and Swatow in Guangdong. Under the initiative and support of the Chinese **, the Guangdong Revolutionary Government decided to eliminate the traitors in order to break through Chen Jiongming's counter-attack on Guangzhou and consolidate its base.

  At that time, the Guangdong Revolutionary Government's acting Grand Marshal Hu Hanmin ordered the Yunnan Army Yang Ximin, the Guangxi Army Liu Zhenhuan, the Guangdong Army Xu Chongzhi and other troops to form a joint army, taking different routes to counterattack Chen Jiongming. However, after the Eastern Expedition battle plan and action orders were issued, the Yunnan-Guangxi armies hesitated and did not move.

  Whampoa Military Academy, headquarters building.

  Principal Chiang sat in the conference room, dressed in military attire, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.

  At this military meeting, Chiang Kai-shek, as the chief of staff of the Guangdong Army, also attended the joint army conference. Chiang proposed that two instructional regiments participate in the war, but was opposed by Yang Ximin and Liu Zhenhuan, which made Chiang very displeased.

  "They're doing this because they're worried that our party's military forces will take advantage of the situation and develop. They have ulterior motives, they are not true revolutionaries at all." Principal Chiang said angrily to the battalion-level officers he had gathered together.

  "Slap" Principal Jiang took off his white gloves and slammed them on the table.

  The officers around him all lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe loudly, fearing that Chiang Kai-shek would vent his anger on them.

  "The principal calmed down, they suppressed us like this, in fact, deep down inside, they are afraid of us. Whether the party and military troops participate in the war or not, our development and growth are unstoppable for them. I suggest that the party and military troops jointly send a telegram to Hu Hanmin, acting as the Grand Marshal, requesting him to allow us to participate in the war." Sun Xinghua looked around at the silent officers, slowly stood up and said.

  Principal Jiang looked at Sun Xinghua, and a smile gradually appeared on his originally angry face.

  "What Fu Guo said is right, they suppress us, which means they are afraid of us in their hearts. They don't let us join the war, but we insist on joining the war. Hu Hanmin, acting as the Grand Marshal, disagreed, so we sent a telegram to Premier Sun in Beijing and asked him to make the decision." Principal Chiang said with a smile on his face.

  The rest of the officers stood up one after another, indicating their agreement with Principal Chiang's opinion.

  Before long, the joint letter was delivered, and the officers signed their names one after another.

  A few days later, Huangpu students and some instructors went to Guangzhou to petition for participation in the war, but were rejected by the joint meeting.

  Just when the officers and soldiers of the Training Corps and the Whampoa Academy were extremely disappointed, Chiang Kai-shek asked Hu Hanmin, the acting Grand Marshal, to forward a letter requesting permission for the Training Corps to go into battle to Sun Yat-sen. Sun Yat-sen replied by telegram on his way north, permitting the military school to participate in the war and listing it in the order of battle.

  On January 20, 1925, two training regiments and the second batch of students from the Whampoa Military Academy formed a unit to participate in the war, claiming to be the Whampoa Army, and took part in the attack on Chen Jiongming.

  After the discussion at the Allied Army Conference, it was decided to divide the troops into three routes: The right route army consisted of the Whampoa Military Academy and the Guangdong Army, led by Chiang Kai-shek himself, with the task of attacking Danshui, Hailufeng and Chaotang; The left route army consisted of the Yunnan Army, attacking Heyuan, Wuhua and Xingning; The central route army consisted of the Guangxi Army and a part of the Yunnan Army, attacking Huizhou.

  However, due to Yang Hucheng and Liu Zhenhua's Yunnan and Guangxi troops being only nominal, the Huangpu Military Academy's training corps, composed of officers, soldiers and student armies, were the main force in this Eastern Expedition.

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