Chapter Thirty-Three: Fierce Debate

  These merchants have been constantly digesting the meaning of Qiao Yu's words and have also gained some insight. Since ancient times, Chinese businessmen have been considered inferior, even now that these big businessmen control the local economy, they still rely on colluding with officials to protect themselves, never thinking of using their own power to force the imperial court to submit, nor do they have this capability. To make capital drive social change, it is necessary to enter the industrial era, but Qiao Yu has pointed out the direction for everyone, and once this idea changes, one's perspective and way of thinking will be completely different, and they all admire Qiao Yu's ambition.

  "Shun Qing, this armed force was established for this purpose, wasn't it?"

  "Mr. Wang, you know well that in foreign countries there are electoral systems, and capitalists can manipulate elections with their vast funds. We don't have this tool of election, so we can only rely on real swords and guns to make the imperial court fearful!"

  The businessmen present soon unanimously agreed to establish an armed force, and the recruitment and training work were all handed over to Qiao Yu. In addition, in the name of the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce, a military order worth 400,000 taels of silver was placed with Boschert, including 2,000 Mauser rifles, 10 Maxim machine guns, 10 Madsen light machine guns, and four 75mm mountain guns, as well as some ammunition.

  Dongchuan Road Zhu Youji handed over the evidence of revolutionary party activities to Sichuan Governor Zhao Erxun's hands. This old governor, who had experienced many storms, was also frightened and trembling. Chongqing is the first in the southwest, a strategic location on land and water, and any disturbance would lead to chaos throughout the country. Moreover, Zhao Erxun, having held high positions for a long time, had a thorough understanding of various situations. The Qing dynasty was now precarious, and its fate hung in the balance from day to day.

  The world is not yet chaotic, but Shu is already in chaos. Sichuan is now filled with secret societies, and the number of mountain bandits and water thieves is countless. With the revolutionary party stirring up trouble from top to bottom, it's a situation where disaster is looming on the horizon. Moreover, Zhao Erxun also knows that the imperial court has prepared to take over the control of the Chengdu-Hankou railway, which will undoubtedly stir up a hornet's nest. The old man has devoted his life to serving the great Qing dynasty, loyal and unwavering.

  Now the imperial court is about to transfer the old man to the three eastern provinces as governor-general. Zhao Erxun has already stated in his memorial the precarious situation of Sichuan and recommended that his brother, Zhao Erfeng, take over as governor-general of Sichuan. This was not a case of promoting talent without regard for family ties, but rather because the old man knew that when it came to military strategy, none of the governors or governors-general under the Qing dynasty could compare with his own brother. If Sichuan were to fall into chaos, he would have to rely on an iron fist to restore order in the region. The old man was entirely motivated by consideration for the Qing dynasty's interests, but he did not realize that this recommendation would push his brother into a precarious situation.

  Zhao Erxun was about to leave Sichuan when he received a report from Zhu Youji. The old man then sent another telegram to his brother, explaining the situation in Chongqing and asking him not to focus solely on Chengdu while neglecting Chongqing, hoping that he could dispatch a strong army to stabilize Chongqing.

  Without mentioning Zhao's preparations to leave Sichuan and head to the Northeast for his new post, let's talk about Chongqing. Due to the Heavenly Gate Village incident, all officials in Chongqing, big or small, are extremely tense and no longer trust the old troops of the Patrol Battalion. They have confiscated their weapons and intensified their search for members of the Tongmenghui, with yamen runners also making arrests everywhere. However, they didn't catch many actual members of the Tongmenghui, but instead arrested a large number of innocent wealthy merchants.

  On one side, they arrest people, on the other, they take money to release them, with prices ranging from 100 to 1,000 taels. The atmosphere in Chongqing is getting more tense by the day. Qiao Yu has witnessed everything and has a deep understanding of the corruption and incompetence of the Qing government. However, they always manage to surprise him. Although they know that the revolutionaries aim to overthrow the Qing dynasty, when they catch real revolutionaries, they don't dare to kill them, but instead try to reform them, like Wang Zhao-ming. Meanwhile, they arrest innocent people on a large scale, opening their mouths wide like lions. Isn't this forcing everyone to join the revolutionary party? Only in such a chaotic world can such strange things happen. If this dynasty doesn't perish, heaven will not tolerate it.

  Large-scale arrests came down, and many yamen's wallets were bulging. Qiao Yu was unwilling to intervene and could only watch the excitement while secretly intensifying the training of the patrol police. Fortunately, Zhu Youji had promised another 100,000 taels of silver, which Qiao Yu spent entirely on these patrolmen. The amount of training was already surpassing that of many military units, especially in live-fire shooting drills. Even the newest batch of recruits could reach a firing rate of over 100 rounds.

  The two thousand patrolmen have gradually formed a combat force, and Qiao Yu has also drawn out one hundred people from the Youth Guard to join them as officers. The Chamber of Commerce's armed forces are also recruiting, and Qiao Yu has drawn out another one hundred guards to become the backbone of this armed force. The Sharp Blade Squad has been withdrawn to become a special forces unit in the future. The remaining ones have become the Imperial Guard. From now on, the guard that existed for more than three months can be considered disbanded, but it will become a major faction of the Sichuan Army in the future, with strong strength and a special status.

  The original school grounds were hidden in consideration, placed in the east of Chongqing City, a bit far from the city center, and it was inconvenient to mobilize once something happened. Now Qiao Yu's courage has also increased a lot, so another military camp was selected near the urban area, and the original school grounds were used as a training ground for new soldiers.

  Now the school grounds are being cleaned up, Qiao Yu thought of some trivial matters and wanted to find Shi Dingzhong. As soon as he thought of Shi Dingzhong, Qiao Yu suddenly realized that he hadn't seen this old man for two or three days. The last time they met, Shi said he would recommend his nephews to Qiao, but now there was no news about it.

  "Tianhe, do you know where Shishu Banzhu lives? This old man must be ill, I'll go take a look!"

  Wang Tianhe naturally knew where Shi Dingzhong lived, and since there was nothing else to do at the moment, he accompanied Qiao Yu directly to Shi's house. The Shi family lived in a secluded alley surrounded by many osmanthus trees, which were now in full bloom with fragrant flowers and lush greenery, making it seem like a paradise on earth.

  "Shishu is a man who knows how to enjoy life, this courtyard may not be big or small, the key is that it must be exquisitely designed and have a sense of humor, after all, when building a house, one can't avoid troubling him!"

  Qiao Yu and Wang Tianhe were talking when they arrived at the small courtyard, just about to knock on the door, when they suddenly heard a quarrel coming from inside the house. Although it was some distance away, they could faintly hear a young man saying something about revolution and running dogs, while an elderly voice kept saying "you don't know what's good for you, disobedient child".

  It seems that the two of them have started arguing. Qiao Yu was driven by curiosity and came to the front of the door, and he could hear even more clearly.

  "Dad, I'm an adult now, not a child. I don't care about being the descendant of some king or queen. I have my own ideals and you can't make all the decisions for me! That Qiao Yu is no good, he's been deceiving revolutionary martyrs, playing both sides against each other, and is a running dog of the Qing court. Following him will only lead to disaster!"

  "You little scoundrel, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! Don't forget how the Heavenly Kingdom failed back then - it was because they offended the local landlords and gentry. If not for Zeng Guofan and those Han officials, the Qing dynasty would have fallen long ago. Now, Qiao Yu is already a leader in Chongqing's industrial circle - he has people who support him, power at his disposal, and is both cunning and insightful. He's far stronger than your revolutionary party, which doesn't even cast a shadow! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

  "Uncle, I think Wing-ge is right. Which hot-blooded man would be willing to be a running dog for the Qing court? You told us that Qiao Yu is not a running dog for the Qing court, but why did he capture the righteous scholar Gu Jinlong and launch a massive arrest of revolutionary scholars in Chongqing? The facts are clear, how can you ask us to believe him?"

  Shi Dingzhong felt that it was pointless to reason with these three little rascals, and the old man's face turned bright red with anger. Suddenly, he heard a burst of laughter coming from outside the door: "Shi Shuban, what's all the commotion about? Qiao Shunqing has come to see you!"

  It's really said who said it, Shi Dingzhong was at a loss, and Shi Yi said on the side: "Dad, look at people's noses, they found us quickly, don't be afraid of him, I don't believe he dares to catch us!"

  "Shut up!" Shi Dingzhong was really afraid that these few reckless kids would clash with Qiao Yu, the old man's heart was anxious, he suddenly lifted one foot and kicked it on Shi Yi's buttocks, shouting: "Behave yourself!"

  "Master, I'm so sorry to have disturbed you. Please forgive me for my child's misbehavior. I will make sure to discipline them strictly!"

  "This is none of your business, I'm not deaf, as the saying goes 'a big son is not controlled by his father', can you keep it under control?"

  Shi Dingzhong was filled with shame, Qiao Yu smiled and walked into the house, where there were three young men, all of whom looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Qiao Yu didn't mind, found a chair and sat down.

  "Strictly speaking, I'm not qualified to interfere with your family affairs, but since it involves me, it's better to clarify things face-to-face and avoid any misunderstandings!"

  "Master, I'm just an ignorant child, please don't take offense!"

  "Don't worry, I was just about to have a chat with a few friends. I believe that as long as we are open and honest, there's no misunderstanding that can't be resolved!"

  "Hum, who wants to talk to you, a running dog? If you have the ability, just catch us!"