On September 28, 1915, the Japanese Korea Army charged into the Northeast from Sinuiju. The Northeast garrison at the border was extremely fearful of Japan. When the Japanese army opened fire on them, the Northeast garrison scattered in an uproar. The Japanese Korea Army immediately headed straight for Shenyang. At this time, Japan had bought off Zhang Zuolin's subordinate Tang Yulin. As the commander of secret agents, Tang Yulin concealed the personnel movements under the cover of the Japanese "Mantetsu". Nearly a thousand Japanese soldiers first infiltrated Shenyang in disguise, then changed into Japanese military uniforms, picked up weapons that had been transported into place long ago, and launched an attack on the Shenyang garrison.

The Shenyang garrison feared the enemy like tigers. Except for the subordinates of the Garrison Command who put up weak resistance, the regular Shenyang garrison collapsed at the first touch against the enemy in Japanese military uniforms. Zhang Zuolin had originally wanted to flee back to Liaoxi, but changed his mind when he left the city. He led his personal guard and the defeated troops to retreat towards Changchun. By the morning of September 29, the Japanese army had occupied the entire city of Shenyang.

The intelligence agents of several stations of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army's intelligence agency relayed the intelligence. After traveling day and night, they finally arrived near Jinzhou on September 30. There were many refugees on the road. The intelligence agent knew that the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army was advancing into the Northeast, but did not know the situation of the battle, so he could only slow down and move forward slowly. It was not until he saw an inn flying a safety sign that he urged his almost foaming horse to gallop over.

Just as he jumped off the horse, the comrades inside the inn had already come out to welcome him. "We were just about to send someone to notify you! Didn't expect you to come."

"How is it exactly?" the comrade from the direction of Shenyang asked.

The comrade on the Jinzhou side said happily, "Our troops captured Jinzhou in two days. The more than four thousand enemies in Jinzhou were completely wiped out. Is there any new situation in Shenyang?"

The comrade from the direction of Shenyang smiled bitterly. "The Japanese captured Shenyang in one day. More than thirty thousand defenders completely collapsed."

Now it was the turn of the comrade on the Jinzhou side to be stunned. After staying dazed for a long while, he said in a voice of complete disbelief, "You're not joking, right? Even if those were thirty thousand fucking pigs, they could still resist for two days!"

The situation had changed so much that the intelligence agent dared not stay. He went directly into Jinzhou city to report to the commander of the attacking troops. The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army attacking Jinzhou were the 14th and 18th Armies. The main attacking force was the 14th Army, and the garrison force was also the 14th Army. The 18th Army was only responsible for assisting tasks. Their task was to set out from Jinzhou and march towards the Panjin area.

But the intelligence agent from Shenyang arrived in Jinzhou in time, causing the 18th Army to temporarily stop its advance.

The commander of the 14th Army, Wang Zuomin, was an old brother of Chai Qingguo and came from a Boxer background. He was nearly forty years old this year. The commander of the 18th Army, Mu Husan, was only twenty-six years old. The intelligence agent was in his early thirties this year. Seeing Wang Zuomin was fine, but facing a young commander several years younger than himself, he was quite unaccustomed for a moment.

After listening to the intelligence agent recount the fall of Shenyang, Wang Zuomin and Mu Husan looked at each other. Wang Zuomin was shocked, while Mu Husan revealed a sharp feeling like a steel blade being unsheathed.

After just one glance, both Wang Zuomin and Mu Husan's eyes fell on the map. Panjin, which the People's Party wanted to capture right now, was a very important area. It was the center of the Liaohe Delta, bordering Anshan City to the east and northeast, facing Yingkou City across the Daliao River to the southeast, bordering Jinzhou City to the west and northwest, and facing the Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Sea to the south. As long as this area was taken, the vast area of southern Liaoning could be controlled. It was also an important base for the next attack on Liaoyang.

But the appearance of the Japanese disrupted the plan of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. In the original plan, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army thought that if they could capture Shenyang before winter, they would blockade the Sino-Korean border and fight again next spring.

"Should we continue to attack?" Wang Zuomin was extremely hesitant.

Mu Husan did not answer directly. He asked the intelligence agent a few more questions, all about the number and unit designation of the Japanese troops.

"When we tried our best to escape, we didn't investigate this issue at all. But before we left, we confirmed that the Japanese army had already occupied Shenyang." The intelligence agent answered truthfully.

Seeing that nothing new could be asked, Mu Husan said to the intelligence agent, "You go down and rest first."

After the intelligence agent left, Mu Husan took out another topographic map. This was the confidential part of the People's Party's maps. Chen Ke's few hardcover backpacker map books had all been burned now, but these maps were traced and distributed to the whole army. In terms of combat, these topographic maps played a huge role. The layout of mountains and rivers needed more confirmation and further detailed survey, but there was no need to make rough maps.

Wang Zuomin and Mu Husan gathered in front of the topographic map. With the terrain, the situation became clearer. The Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army followed the flat land by the Bohai Sea and marched north from near Qinhuangdao all the way to capture Jinzhou, a strategic point for exiting the pass. If they continued according to the original military plan, and the 18th Army attacked Panjin, then the possibility of the Japanese army going south had to be considered. Although Japan was the invader, the Japanese had managed the Northeast for more than a decade after all, and were more familiar with the situation in the Northeast than the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. The magic weapon of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army was relying on the masses and fighting on interior lines. The biggest advantage of interior line operations was supply advantage. Compared with the Japanese army now, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army could absolutely not be called fighting on interior lines.

"Fight or defend?" Wang Zuomin asked again.

Mu Husan pointed to several strategic points and said, "How to defend is also a problem. Look at this map. The Japanese navy can attack Qinhuangdao and Huludao at any time. They can also land from Yingkou and other places at any time. If the retreat route is cut off, it will be very difficult to defend."

Wang Zuomin agreed with Mu Husan's point of view, but he also pointed to the map and said, "But once we get here, we can't retreat. If we retreat and the Japanese occupy these strategic points, we will have to pay too great a price to capture these places again."

Mu Husan nodded. "Ensure logistics, mobilize the masses. The troops themselves must also engage in construction and production. We cannot let go of the territory we have already occupied."

Wang Zuomin had just nodded in agreement when he heard Mu Husan continue, "But I think we still have to fight for Panjin. If we don't fight now, the range we can move in is only this small patch of Jinzhou. After attacking Panjin, at least the Japanese will know that we can operate in a wider area."

As fellow army commanders, Wang Zuomin could not command Mu Husan. Moreover, in the original military plan, Mu Husan's task was to attack Panjin. But the situation had changed too much. Even if the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army was an offensive force, it was absolutely not a reckless force. "I will guard the rear well," Wang Zuomin said.

"If the situation is not right, I will retreat," Mu Husan also said.

The departure of the 18th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army was delayed by less than half a day, and twenty thousand troops marched towards Panjin.

Sun Yat-sen and his party arrived in the Northeast on September 30. At this time, Shenyang had basically returned to calm—the calm under Japanese military administration. Japanese soldiers were everywhere on the streets. In order to give face to Sun Yat-sen, he and several "officials" of the "New Beiyang Government" entered Shenyang City in cars.

In the same car with Sun Yat-sen were Chen Qimei and Wang Jingwei. Seeing that Sun Yat-sen was quite emotional, the two of them also felt a surge of emotions. having engaged in revolution for more than a decade, this was the first time they had entered a Chinese city with such glory.

There were some "organized" local representatives of Shenyang on the streets. They held banners welcoming "Grand President Sun Yat-sen". Regardless of the look on their faces, at least they waved small flags to show welcome.

Arriving at Zhang Zuolin's Military Governor's Office, a crowd of Northeast civil and military officials who had defected to the Japanese or failed to escape were lined up at the door to welcome them. These people were guys who had experienced at least two regime changes, so even welcoming a new master didn't stimulate their sense of shame much. The leader was the newly appointed Fengtian Garrison Commander Tang Yulin. This sworn brother of Zhang Zuolin went up enthusiastically to open the car door for Sun Yat-sen. "Hello, Grand President Sun! All our government and military colleagues in Fengtian have been waiting for you for a long time."

Sun Yat-sen's two small mustaches were trimmed neatly. He stepped forward to shake hands with Tang Yulin with an attitude that was majestic yet kind. Then he smiled and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

On September 30, 1915, Sun Yat-sen officially announced his inauguration as the second Grand President of the Republic of China in Fengtian. And in the capacity of the President of the Republic, through Japanese communication channels, he sent official presidential letters to Feng Guozhang in the south and Duan Qirui in Shanxi, requiring them to obey the political and military orders of the new government.

On October 1, 1915, the 18th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army arrived in Panjin. Amidst a chaotic situation, they easily occupied this city.