German Red Prince

Page 22

Each province should formulate its own constitution, organize its provincial government according to the provincial constitution, and implement provincial autonomy. On this basis, a joint provincial conference should be held to formulate a joint provincial constitution and establish a joint provincial autonomous government, making China a unified federal country! Joint provincial autonomy—this is his ideal.

But whether this was his ideal or just a "noble slogan" uttered by a warlord driven by his own selfish motives, only he himself knew.

"Go ahead and make trouble, Guangxi is no longer playing along!" Chen Jiongming waved his hand. "A telegram is sent throughout the province: Sun Chuanfang's actions are perverse and outrageous! Guangxi declares independence! It secedes from the federal provinces!"

"General! General! Hangzhou has fallen to the revolutionaries! General Xie Hongxun has been killed in battle!"

"General! General! Something terrible has happened! Tang Shengzhi has been captured! Hunan has been taken by the revolutionaries!"

"General! General! General Shangguan Yunxiang has died in Nanchang! Nanchang has fallen!"

Not a single good news came. During these days, Sun Chuanfang hadn't slept well for a single day. Battle reports came in like snowflakes. He gave them all the money and troops they wanted, but the result was still a crushing defeat.

He couldn't understand how, with the Germans standing behind him—the world's leading superpower—how could his hundreds of thousands of troops, armed with so much German-made weaponry, be defeated by a single revolutionary party?

The Guangdong revolutionary government had once proposed peace talks to him, but he rejected them without even looking at them. And now? Eight provinces—Guangdong lost, Fujian lost, Hunan lost, Jiangxi lost, Zhejiang lost. Everywhere, as soon as they heard the news of the revolutionaries, they fled. He, the governor of eight provinces, was immediately left with no one to command!

He was indeed a hero of his time, but where is he now?

Thinking back to his glorious past, when he dominated Jiangnan, and comparing it to his current miserable situation, Sun Chuanfang couldn't help but sigh.

"The revolutionary government's million-strong army marched north. I wonder if Marshal Sun is still dreaming of dictatorship. I heard that Marshal Sun receives many reports of victories every day, how many revolutionary rebels he has eliminated today, and how many cities he has captured tomorrow."

"It is said that the Eight Provinces Gazette reports every day that the Eight Provinces Allied Army has annihilated 200,000 enemy troops and advanced a thousand miles. But how come the more victories they win, the closer the revolutionary army gets to Nanjing? Sun Chuanfang, the governor of the Eight Provinces, still has several provinces under his command. We can't figure it out."

"We simply request that Commander Sun not leave Nanjing, and not 'advance' to any other place. Our revolutionary army still needs to personally deliver the 'victory report'! The revolutionary government hereby warns all officers and generals of the eight provinces, as well as His Excellency Sun Chuanfang: Those who commit many injustices will surely perish! Stop making futile resistance; surrender and accept reform by the revolutionary government. This is your only way out..."

Sun Chuanfang turned off the radio and sat slumped in the room, lost in thought.

"General! Something terrible has happened! Guangxi has rebelled!" a soldier shouted as he ran into the house.

"Okay, okay."

Sun Chuanfang gave a bitter laugh, then his vision went black and he fainted.

"The Marshal has fainted! Someone come quick!" With Sun Chuanfang's unconsciousness, the entire Marshal's mansion descended into chaos.

Dark clouds loomed, and the fate of the eight provinces seemed sealed.

Chen Diaoyuan and Qi Xieyuan, along with a group of generals from the Marshal's Mansion, gathered in the conference room. How lively this place must have been back when the eight provinces united!

Of the eight provincial governors, only two remain: Chen Diaoyuan, the governor of Anhui, and Qi Xieyuan, the governor of Jiangsu. The united eight provinces are now in a sorry state, with only two provinces remaining.

"Your Excellency Sun! The Empire has given you so much aid! Yet you suffered a crushing defeat against a mere rebel! What use is all this aid to you? In the end, it all benefits the rebels in the south!" The German envoy was furious. Back then, the Empire chose to support Sun Chuanfang because of his considerable power.

Unexpectedly, the United Provinces turned out to be a mere shell, utterly ineffective in combat. The elite German-equipped divisions trained for them by the Empire were almost wiped out. Moreover, all the factories the Empire had invested in in the eight provinces had been seized by the revolutionaries. Strikes were rampant in factories throughout the regions controlled by the eight provinces, and Berlin had already sent a notice instructing the East Asian region to handle the situation as soon as possible, which greatly annoyed this special envoy recently.

"Let me tell you, Commander Sun! The Empire doesn't have that much patience and won't do business that loses money! The Empire can support you, but it can also replace you with someone else at any time!"

To fight or not to fight? The Allied forces are now in complete disarray, and it seems there's no point in continuing the fight. "What did the Germans say?" Qi Xieyuan asked. The Germans are now their last hope.

"The Germans told us to figure it out ourselves, and they wouldn't interfere anymore."

Qi Xieyuan nodded after listening, then glanced at Chen Diaoyuan. The two exchanged glances. "Well, gentlemen, let's wait until the Marshal wakes up before we talk about this."

The meeting ended abruptly, but Qi Xieyuan did not leave. Instead, he and Chen Diaoyuan went to a private room to talk.

"Now that the commander-in-chief is in a coma, we don't know when he will wake up. Of the eight provincial governors, only the two of us are left," Qi Xieyuan couldn't help but tease.

The idea of ​​besieging the revolutionary government was ultimately just Sun Chuanfang's idea. With eight provinces united, each province would go its own way and wouldn't care whether it was a revolutionary government or not. They were content to live their own lives. If it weren't for the Germans backing Sun Chuanfang, his warlords wouldn't have listened to him at all.

Now that the Germans have made it clear that they will no longer care about the fate of the eight provinces, Sun Chuanfang has lost his backer and his loyal troops are almost gone. Is it still necessary for these two warlords to listen to him?

"This Sun Chuanfang, colluding with the Germans to harm our compatriots! Provoking a civil war! We, the Anhui clique, will no longer work with him!" Chen Diaoyuan slammed his fist on the table and shouted, startling Qi Xieyuan, who quickly told him to speak softly.

"Brother Chen, don't get excited. There are still Sun Chuanfang's men here! Don't get excited, don't get excited!" He looked out the window and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was eavesdropping.

"What, isn't Nanjing your territory? Why are you being so cautious?" Chen Diaoyuan said with a smile as he looked at Qi Xieyuan.

"Hmph, now that Sun Chuanfang is unconscious, Nanjing will soon be my territory." Qi Xieyuan clenched his fist. Sun Chuanfang had practically sidelined him, the military governor of Jiangsu, in Nanjing. He wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.

"Why are there so many strangers in the Marshal's Mansion? I've never seen them before," Chen Yi asked the guards at the door.

"Reporting to Commander Chen, Governor Qi has ordered the defense of the Marshal's Mansion to be strengthened and has sent many people over," the soldier replied.

"What! Doesn't he know that no troops other than the personal guards are allowed to enter the Marshal's Mansion?" Chen Yi was taken aback; he sensed something was amiss.

"Commander Qi said that in this extraordinary period, we must take urgent precautions."

"Even if they're tightening defenses, they should at least have our German-equipped divisions stationed here! How could he send his private troops! Where is he?! I need to see him!"

“We also sent someone to inquire, but Commander Qi said he was unwell and would not see any guests,” the guard said to Chen Yi.

"Damn it, the commander-in-chief has only just lain down, and these people are already harboring rebellious intentions." Chen Yi couldn't help but sneer, his heart filled with disillusionment. What coalition government? Corruption, scheming, and backstabbing!

"Don't tell anyone I'm here. Just pretend you've never seen me."

Chen Yi rushed back to the German-equipped division's base. If Qi Xieyuan harbored any disloyalty, his first priority would undoubtedly be to wipe out Sun Chuanfang's loyal followers, which would put their German-equipped division in danger. These troops were Chen Yi's lifeblood, soldiers he had personally trained; he couldn't let them die here in vain.

"Commander Qi, didn't you say you were bringing us to see the Marshal? What happened?" a group of officials from the joint province asked in confusion.

"You'll see the Commander-in-Chief soon," Qi Xieyuan sneered. "Make your move!"

Suddenly, the doors and windows were opened, and a group of soldiers raised their guns and aimed at the people inside.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Gunshots rang out, and a group of officials fell to the ground. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; how pathetic was Sun Chuanfang, once a powerful and ruthless figure.

Seeing that there were no survivors in the house, Qi Xieyuan led his men to the Marshal's Mansion and ordered his soldiers to the German-equipped division's garrison. With control of these two locations, he would truly be the military governor of Jiangsu Province.

Sun Chuanfang, who had been unconscious, finally woke up. He called out several times but no one came. He struggled to sit up.

Qi Xieyuan led a group of soldiers into the Marshal's Mansion and arrived at Sun Chuanfang's room. "The Marshal is inside; you cannot go in." The guards, seeing the large group of people with guns approaching, raised their guns and pointed them at them.

"I have urgent news to report to the commander! The German-equipped division has rebelled!" Qi Xieyuan said, feigning panic. He then made a hand gesture, and before his personal guards could react in their shock, the soldiers below quietly stepped forward and stabbed the guards to death.

Hearing the strange noise, Sun Chuanfang reached under the pillow, and Qi Xieyuan pushed open the door and came in.

"You're really in a hurry," Sun Chuanfang said with a wry smile as he saw Qi Xieyuan walk in.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but the Germans have abandoned us, and there's no need to continue fighting. Considering you're our former superior, you only need to write a letter to the German-equipped divisions to hand over their weapons, and we won't make things difficult for you."

"Hahaha, good, good!" Sun Chuanfang pointed at Qi Xieyuan, "I started from scratch and built an eight-province alliance. Alas, it's my fault for being too impatient. In the end, it was all just a pipe dream!" He stared at Qi Xieyuan, "Didn't you want me to write a letter? I'll write it for you!"

Sun Chuanfang suddenly pulled a pistol from under his pillow and fired a shot at Qi Xieyuan.

"Commander, be careful!" An officer beside him pushed him aside, and a bullet struck Qi Xieyuan's arm.

"Sigh, I'm getting old after all." Sun Chuanfang sighed, and before anyone else could come to take the gun, he shot himself in the temple.

The Prince of Southeast, Chuanfang, thus perished.

"He really is a smiling tiger!" Qi Xieyuan clutched his injured arm. The guards outside must have heard the commotion; they had to take action immediately.

"Hurry up and do it!" I originally wanted to bleed less, but now it seems impossible. This Sun Chuanfang is causing trouble for me even on his deathbed.

Qi Xieyuan led his troops to massacre the Marshal's Mansion, killing Sun Chuanfang's entire family and placing martial law in Nanjing.

"Without the commander-in-chief's personal letter, no one has the right to mobilize us!" The officer heading to the German-equipped division's garrison tried everything to persuade the guards at the gate, but to no avail.

A soldier ran up from a distance and whispered in his ear. The officer sneered, "The General's letter has arrived, take a good look!" He waved his hand, "The German-equipped division is disobeying orders and plotting a rebellion, arrest them!"

Before the guards at the gate could react, a large group of soldiers rushed over and opened fire on the German-equipped division's garrison, and the two sides exchanged fire.

"Damn it, that Qi Xieyuan!" Chen Yi gritted his teeth in hatred. "Tell the brothers to break out!" He was now completely disheartened. The revolutionary government had also been communicating with him privately. He had previously declined because of Sun Chuanfang's kindness to him, but now it seemed he was determined to make up his mind.

After capturing Hangzhou, the 19th Route Army rested and continued its advance. Suddenly, a secret telegram arrived from the revolutionaries who had been hiding in Nanjing.

"It seems Sun Chuanfang is in trouble; his men are getting restless," Cai Tingkai couldn't help but laugh.

"Notify the troops to advance on Nanjing immediately! Take Nanjing while the chaos is still ongoing!"

This is a golden opportunity! If they miss this chance, they don't know how many casualties they will have to pay to capture Nanjing again.

"What's wrong with you guys! You can't even take them down with so many people!" Qi Xieyuan couldn't help but get angry. There were only 20,000 German-equipped soldiers in Nanjing, and he had already mobilized more than 60,000, but they still hadn't been wiped out.

This is in Nanjing, on Qi Xieyuan's territory, and he's really upset about it.

Chen Yi led the German-equipped soldiers in a desperate resistance, holding out for an unknown amount of time. Just when they were about to give up, a deafening battle cry suddenly came from outside.

The 19th Route Army marched at breakneck speed and finally arrived at the gates of Nanjing. Upon receiving the news, Qi Xieyuan collapsed to the ground.

"It's all because of Sun Chuanfang!"

The main Soviet forces were engaged in besieging the German-equipped divisions and had no time to redeploy. The 19th Route Army quickly launched its siege and soon broke through the city gates, rushing into the city.

Hearing the shouts of battle outside, the Soviet troops besieging the German-equipped division lost most of their fighting spirit. Chen Yi seized the opportunity and led his men to break out of the encirclement.

"Commander-in-Chief, the revolutionaries have broken in! Let's go and join Commander-in-Chief Chen!" An officer beside him helped Qi Xieyuan up.

Unexpectedly, he ultimately fell into Sun Chuanfang's hands.

He originally intended to quickly capture the German-equipped division as a gift to the revolutionary army, and then perhaps even secure a position in the revolutionary government. However, the German-equipped division proved to be incredibly capable, causing his efforts to fail at the last hurdle.

"Let's go! Let's go to Anqing to find Governor Chen!" Qi Xieyuan clutched his arm and fled with the group. Fate always plays tricks on people. At a corner, they encountered Chen Yi's troops.

Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet.

The German-equipped division opened fire in unison, and Qi Xieyuan, the military governor of Jiangsu Province, died in the chaos.

The troops in Nanjing had little will to resist, and with recent anti-war sentiment running high, many soldiers laid down their weapons after a brief resistance. The 19th Route Army captured Nanjing with little effort.

With the capture of Nanjing by the revolutionary army, the entire Northern Expedition was nearing its end. The day after Nanjing was captured, Anhui Province changed its flag and submitted to the leadership of the revolutionary government.

The German government also frequently negotiated with Guangdong, recognizing the Guangdong revolutionary government as the successor to the eight-province coalition and agreeing to cooperate with it. However, the revolutionary government could not continue its northern expedition against the Qing government; this was the empire's bottom line.

Liao Zhongkai sternly rejected the German ambassador's demands, stating, "The Northern Expedition is the internal affair of the Chinese government! Foreign countries have no reason to interfere! The Chinese people must be completely liberated! This is the will of all Chinese people! If I agree to your demands, I will be a traitor! A sinner for all time! The indomitable efforts of the Chinese people will surely lead to the steady achievement of their goals!"

Upon hearing Liao Zhongkai's words, the German ambassador bowed and said, "Commissioner Liao, I respect you and your nation, but please remember that the Empire will absolutely not allow its interests to be harmed."

The revolutionary army still crossed the Yangtze River and attacked Wuhan, a border city of the Qing government.

"Damn it! How come these foreign warships are still on the Yangtze River! Didn't we notify them?" Chiang Kai-shek cursed. The revolutionary government had already notified foreign warships not to approach, yet warships from other countries were still sailing here.

"calibrate the cannon muzzle! Fire!" Chiang Kai-shek ordered. He had made a small contribution in Nanchang and was now a junior company commander in the artillery.

"Company commander, this..." The soldier beside him hesitated. The revolutionary government had instructed his men to restrain themselves and try to avoid conflicts with foreign powers, so as not to give them a reason to interfere in the Northern Expedition.

"Damn it! They've come to bully us right at our doorstep!" Chiang Kai-shek shoved the soldier aside and personally took up the cannon and opened fire.

"Captain, we're transporting grain to Wuhan. Will the revolutionary government attack us?" a first mate asked.

"What's there to be afraid of? These Chinese wouldn't dare. How could they dare challenge the authority of the empire?" the captain laughed. But before he could laugh for long, he was hit by a shot. Chiang Kai-shek was lucky; the warship was hit by a single shot.

"They actually dared to attack us! Notify the fleet to counterattack!" The captain struggled to his feet, aiming the cannons at the shore.

"boom!"

Chiang Kai-shek was gloating over hitting the German warship when countless shells came flying in, blowing him to pieces.

The Yangtze River incident finally provided a pretext, and the German East Asia Office began mobilizing to prepare to intervene in China's Northern Expedition and prevent its expansion.

"Where is Chiang Kai-shek?!"

"Reporting to the committee member, he was killed in the bombing."

After hearing this, Liao Zhongkai slammed his fist on the table in anger. Now the Germans had an excuse to interfere in the Northern Expedition. If he died, all would be well. But what would happen to the Northern Expedition?

Hu Hanmin and a group of people secretly met with the German envoy; a conspiracy was brewing.

What will become of China?

Rhine Years

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Rhine Train

"Sell newspapers! Sell newspapers!"

The newsboy shouted to the passersby, and Thorne realized that he had been standing there for almost twenty minutes.

This timeline is completely different from the history of the world he used to live in, and he cannot predict future events like a prophet. Now Thorne can only take it one step at a time.

"It seems that the East in this timeline has not given up its struggle against feudal forces and imperialism either. The people of Seris, who pursue freedom and happiness, will never give up their struggle in any timeline!"

Thorne is now willing but unable to do anything. He is just the second prince of the Rhine Kingdom, holding the title but lacking the corresponding strength and influence to help the revolution in the Far East.

"Let's wait until later." Thorne clenched his fist. He had made up his mind that he had to go back and see.

However, he had more important things to do now. The Berlin military exercises were about to begin, serving as a summary of his studies at the Berlin Military Academy. He needed to take it seriously, fight a brilliant battle, and bring his Berlin trip to a perfect close.

So before the military exercise began, Thorne wanted to have a good talk with Model, the commander of their exercise force.

The training ground of Greater Germany.