The officials and generals of the Qing Dynasty in this era, including the generals of the Beiyang Army now, almost all lacked sufficient regard for the Japanese.
Perhaps no one could have foreseen that a small country like Japan could have such grand ambitions, capable of inflicting such great harm upon the entire nation and people?
Moreover, the Beiyang Army had been invincible in previous battles, completely routing the Qing forces.
Li Jing Yuan hoped that the generals, officers, and soldiers of the Beiyang Army would not become complacent.
If they considered the Japanese to be as vulnerable as the Qing forces, then they would likely suffer a heavy defeat.
Therefore, Li Jing Yuan also hoped to preemptively inoculate them against complacency.
Otherwise, if they were to suffer a disastrous defeat on the battlefield later, the losses would be tremendous.
“How is the newly formed unit progressing? They will be the main force fighting the Qing and Japanese forces, right?” Li Jing Yuan asked.
“Commander-in-Chief, the 13th to the 24th Infantry Divisions have been established and have developed combat capability. However, lacking actual combat experience, their fighting strength might not be comparable to the previously established units.
The later established 25th to 36th Infantry Divisions have recruited enough personnel. But their weapons and equipment haven't been fully equipped. Many soldiers still only use obsolete equipment captured from the Qing forces.
The Laizhou Arsenal and the Jiangnan Manufactory have been operating at full capacity to produce weapons and equipment. But to meet the needs of these units, it will undoubtedly take some time.”
Xu Shi Chang, the Chief of Staff of the Beiyang Army, reported.
Li Jing Yuan nodded: “New units will always have to go to war. Only after seeing blood on the battlefield can soldiers truly grow and become elite forces.
As for the newly established units that are not yet ready, use them temporarily to maintain stability in newly occupied provinces. At least they are fully capable of dealing with the Qing forces. When the weapons produced by the arsenal become available, we will re-equip them.
Or, if the frontline units suffer significant losses, we can directly draw personnel from these units to replenish them.”
It was foreseeable that the upcoming battles against the Japanese and the Eight Banners forces would result in considerable losses for the Beiyang Army.
To ensure that these main forces could regain their combat effectiveness as quickly as possible, reinforcements would need to be deployed immediately.
Only then would there be sufficient main forces to fight the Japanese.
“Yes, Commander-in-Chief!” Xu Shi Chang replied.
“In a month or two, the cold winter will pass, and spring will arrive. Our decisive battles with the Qing forces and the Japanese forces will begin. Are all units ready?” Li Jing Yuan asked.
“Commander-in-Chief, all units on the northern front are ready for combat. But with only the strength of our four infantry divisions, it is clearly insufficient to deal with the Qing and Japanese forces.” Wang Shi Zheng, a major general, replied.
“We will dispatch more troops to reinforce you. Weather permitting, the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th Infantry Divisions will immediately head north and be incorporated into the northern front's combat sequence.
Additionally, the 3rd Infantry Division will also move north from Su Province, along with several other infantry divisions, as a reserve force.
If the situation is unfavorable, the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Infantry Divisions can all be deployed into combat.
In other words, as long as we can defeat the Japanese, even if all our main forces are deployed into combat, we will not hesitate!”
Li Jing Yuan said with a solemn expression.
At this moment, the high-ranking officials of the Beiyang Army also realized Li Jing Yuan's determination.
“Commander-in-Chief, rest assured, we will definitely defeat the Japanese in this battle!
No matter how many people they send to help the Qing forces, they will not be our match!”
Wang Shi Zheng, the major general, looked resolute.
“Very good! Then it’s up to you!”
Li Jing Yuan also believed that the Beiyang Army would definitely achieve victory in the upcoming war.
Meanwhile, Li Hong Zhang also informed Li Jing Yuan that he had written to the provincial governors and received responses.
“Third brother, Yang Chang Rui, the Governor-General of Shanxi and Gansu, and Bian Bao Di, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, explicitly rejected my overtures, even denouncing me as a rebellious traitor and breaking ties with me.
However, Zhang Zhi Dong, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Cen Yu Ying, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Liu Bing Zhang, the Governor-General of Sichuan, Wang Wen Shao, the Governor of Hunan, and Liu Jin Tang, the Governor-General of the Frontier, did not give me a clear answer.
Obviously, they are waiting to see the outcome of our decisive battle with the Qing forces and the Japanese forces.”
Li Hong Zhang said.
“Father, I understand. They are trying to sit on the fence. If we defeat the Japanese and the Qing forces in this upcoming battle, I believe they will all turn to us. If we fail, then they will definitely strike us when we are down.”
Li Jing Yuan understood this perfectly.
Li Hong Zhang nodded.
“Father, please rest assured, this upcoming battle is crucial, a decisive battle that will determine our victory or defeat. We will definitely win this battle!” Li Jing Yuan guaranteed.