The Northern Expedition is a Failure

The title is pretty self-explanatory, what if the Beiyang Government somehow found out about Kuomintang's plans for a Northern Expedition and crushed it prematurely. How would the Beiyang Government, now most likely the power in the remains of China react? Would various provinces break away from the now-destroyed Republic of China, for example Mongolia and Tibet? What would the Warlords that had nothing to do with Beiyang or the Kuomintang do, like the Sichuan Warlords? Most importantly, how would the rising powers of Japan and the Soviet Union react to the ruined China? Basically, what do you think would happen to China in a failed Northern Expedition? 'Cause I have no clue.
 
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