Chapter 64: You people have grown old

  "Boatman, I'll give you more money! Don't go to Hankou, go straight to Liujiatang."

  The distant rumble of cannons made Jiang Yiwu's mouth foam, and after being chased on the night of the 9th in Xiaochang Street, he was so frightened that he fled by boat overnight. However, when the boat had only sailed halfway, it was said that the Wuchang Uprising had begun, and the entire city of Wuchang was filled with the sound of cannons. Suddenly regretful, Jiang Yiwu hastily disembarked and hired a small boat to hurry back.

  Just as he was worried that he would be treated as a deserter and unable to return, and might even be ostracized, the sound of cannons from the direction of Liujiatun suddenly made him tremble. At this moment, there must still be such a large-scale battle in Santown, it must be the militia and the remnants of the enemy, as long as he grasped the opportunity to lead the militia to take down Liujiatun, this leader of the insurgent army would definitely be accepted by everyone again.

  The old captain behind him turned pale, what's going on over there?! Are they fighting?!

  But he didn't dare to talk back, because this guy had a bulge in his waist, obviously carrying a gun, so he could only grit his teeth and head towards the Liu Family Temple. But as they got closer, he suddenly shouted: "Stop the boat, stop the boat!"

  Only a short distance ahead, several warships with dragon flags were already anchored on the river surface, sailors running back and forth on the deck, and the large cannon muzzles were slowly pressing down. Jiang Yiwu was also frightened, not expecting that the "enemy" gunboats were still cruising on the river, but if he didn't go over, there would be no way to make a name for himself, so he gritted his teeth, pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the boatman, shouting: "Go over, go over quickly!"

  In front of them were big cannons, and not far from the forehead, there were dark gun muzzles. The captain was so scared that his face turned white, just as he was about to kneel down and beg for mercy, he saw that the dragon flag on the opposite warship had slowly lowered, replaced by three unfamiliar tiger flags.

  Jiang Yiwu's eyes widened instantly, and no matter how hard he thought, he had never heard of the Qing dynasty having a military unit that hung such flags, let alone the navy. Before he could figure it out, the 5 120mm naval guns on the three warships suddenly burst into a roar, and the fierce flames that shot out of the gun barrels formed a huge explosion, causing the remaining soldiers who were desperately running towards the riverbank to scream in horror.

  "It's one of ours!" Jiang Yiwu exclaimed excitedly, his whole body trembling. The old sailor heard that the gunboat was actually on the same side as this hot-headed man and could only muster up the courage to continue sailing forward.

  "Fire at will!"

  Guns of the same caliber on land and at sea were never in the same league, let alone the larger 120mm quick-firing naval gun. The five 120mm guns and six 140/75mm quick-firing guns on the three gunboats unleashed a terrifying killing power, firing a total of 150 shells at Zhang Biao's remaining troops in just three minutes. Some sailors even operated machine guns to sweep along the riverbank, and under the unique rhythm of the explosions, the surviving soldiers who thought they had been rescued were instantly knocked down.

  Zhang Biao's eyeballs were about to explode, he never thought that Rui Ceng's naval forces would actually turn against him! Although he had been stubbornly defending Liujiatang, some things in the three towns still knew, Wuchang was now a headless dragon, Hankou and Hanyang took the initiative to lead the right-wing army, and the ones attacking their own were Yang Qiu's troops. This also means... all three gunboats belonged to Yang Qiu! Rui Ceng must have been captured by him!

  Behind them were thousands of artillery and heavy machine guns covering the pursuing enemy army, while in front of them were three warships blocking their way. The morale of the troops had been completely destroyed, and large numbers of soldiers did not wait for the right-wing military officers to arrive, but simply hearing the cries of killing was enough to make them raise their guns above their heads.

  As he watched the number of his personal guards dwindling, Zhang Biao knew that defeat was imminent. He let out a mournful cry to the heavens and drew his sword, ready to take his own life by slitting his throat. Li Xun and his remaining guards rushed to grab hold of his arm, with the former shouting: "General, you mustn't!"

  "Don't try to persuade me, we've already lost three towns, I have no face to see the Emperor again!"

  "General, as long as the green mountain is still here, we don't have to worry about having no firewood to burn. What's more, your wife and children are all still in the Japanese concession, if something happens to you, how can I explain it to them?"

  As soon as he heard his family members, Zhang Biao also softened all over, looking at the three warships and throwing down his military knife, sitting on the ground. As the military knife fell, the guards who had lost their will to fight finally let out a sigh of relief and began to surrender with their guns raised.

  Su Xiaohu, who was fighting for the first time, walked excitedly at the very front, with more than a dozen soldiers protecting him on both sides. Whenever he saw a soldier capture an enemy, he would smile foolishly, and by the time they had passed the train station and were approaching the riverbank, there were so many captives that his mouth was about to twist sideways.

  "Squad leader, there's a boat."

  Before finding Zhang Biao, the soldier's finger pointed to the riverbank, and a young man wearing an old military uniform from Baizhen was seen jumping off the boat with a revolver in his hand. After seeing them, he waved his arms excitedly, seemingly very happy.

  "Who among you knows?"

  The soldiers next to him all shook their heads, Su Xiaohu was puzzled: "Then what's the point of this stupid bird waving its wings? And it's smiling like a thief?"

  "In my opinion, it must be admiration for your exceptional leadership and bravery that surpasses all three armies."

  "Get out... haha."

  Several familiar soldiers just finished speaking and burst out laughing, Su Xiaohu scratched his head with a blush, but to be honest, from the beginning he has been charging in the front row, does this count... as a great achievement?

  Su Xiaohu was thinking with a radiant expression when Jiang Yiwu had already arrived in front of him. Since he still held the gun, all the soldiers' muzzles were aimed at him, and he hastily shouted: "I am Jiang Yiwu from the 41st Division."

  "Jiang Yiwu?" Su Xiaohu scratched his head, feeling that the name sounded familiar. A company commander next to him immediately pushed him: "Captain, didn't Lei Damao say last night that those people from the Yangtze River gang..."

  Su Xiaohu also remembered that last night, Lei Meng came to the team to convey orders and said that several of Jin Liang's captured subordinates had confessed. That night, in addition to Jin Liang, there were two other party members who assassinated the commander, one of whom was this guy in front of him!

  Jiang Yiwu didn't notice that Su Xiaohu's face had changed, and he put away his gun excitedly, asking: "Which unit are you from?"

  "The Right Route Army... Unit 42." The soldier almost let it slip.

  "Right Route Army?" Jiang Yiwu was taken aback, how could a Right Route Army suddenly appear? But it didn't matter, he was familiar with the 42nd Division, so he continued to say: "What about Qiu Wenbin? Is he in command? Go find him and tell him that Jiang Yiwu wants to see him."

  This commanding tone made the soldiers' faces turn black. Not to mention that Qiu Wenbin had already violated military discipline and was closed, even if there was no such thing, he was just a positive goal. There were not only team leaders but also camp leaders here, which one would allow an outsider to give orders. Seeing the soldiers continuing to hold guns and being cold, Jiang Yiwu was very dissatisfied and shouted: "I am the commander-in-chief of the uprising army, Jiang Yiwu! What is your attitude?"

  "What kind of crap is this commander?"

  "Yeah, all three towns have been recovered, come back and give orders, you must be bored out of your mind."

  The soldiers' sarcastic remarks made Jiang Yiwu's face suddenly turn dark, staring at Su Xiaohu and saying: "You are an officer? It's just like this......" "Are you the Jiang Yiwu who assassinated Yang Qiu with Jin Li?" Before he could finish speaking, Su Xiaohu interrupted him with a glare.

  "How did you know?" Jiang Yiwu glanced at Su Xiaohu's face, thinking it was Qiu Wenbin or Jin Liangzhi who told him, and quickly said: "Have you already killed Yang Qiu? Great! I am Jiang Yiwu, unfortunately that night......"

  "What a pity for your grandma!"

  Before he could finish speaking, a rifle butt came crashing down from the side and several soldiers pinned him to the ground, took away his gun and cursed: "What are you looking at?! You dare to kill even our commander, asking for death!"

  If it were the original 42nd Division soldiers, they might not have done so. However, these were newly absorbed security team members, and since Yang Qiu's division had incorporated them into the regular army, this unit composed entirely of workers' sons regarded Yang Qiu as their "big brother". How could they tolerate anyone who dared to assassinate him? Jiang Yiwu was also completely bewildered, having no idea how things had turned out this way. His foot had already been trampled on his face, and the soldiers nearby were punching and kicking him. In an instant, this "Commander-in-Chief" was left with a swollen nose and bruised face, his entire body covered in bruises.

  "Take away!"

  Su Xiaohu waved his hand: "All of you shut up! Go, take this 'prisoner' to see the commander!"

  With one sentence, the hapless commander-in-chief was finished. Yang Qiu, still unaware in the warehouse by the Liu family's riverbank, that Su Xiaohu had already captured the "commander-in-chief", gazed coldly at Zhang Biao and his Japanese advisor Teraishi Hidetake, who were tightly bound by soldiers, and said: "General, long time no see."

  Teraishi Hidetake was just a Japanese ronin who had spent half a year in the military academy, and seeing guns all around him, he was already trembling with fear. On the other hand, Zhang Biao glared at Yang Qiu and shouted: "You dare to be arrogant, Yang Qiu! You are committing a serious crime by rebelling against your superiors and causing chaos in the three towns! This is an unforgivable sin! At this moment, the imperial army is marching south overnight. If you release me quickly, I may still be able to put in a good word for you."

  Zhang Biao has been the commander for many years, and he is rough to people. He doesn't treat soldiers as kindly as Li Yuanhong does. There are more than a hundred soldiers who have been beaten or punished by him, and his notorious reputation has spread throughout the three towns. Seeing him being tied up, he still dares to speak wildly, and all the surrounding soldiers scolded him.

  "The adults are trapped in prison, but their temper is still so explosive." Yang Qiu waved his hand and let the room quiet down again before walking to the window, gazing at the outside river for a moment, then staring straight at Zhang Biao: "I know that your little emperor has already appointed Yin Chang as the military commander, with Feng Guozhang assisting, mobilizing the 4th Division, 5th Division, 3rd Mixed Brigade, 11th Mixed Brigade, and 39th Mixed Brigade. Zai Tao also personally led the First Division of the Imperial Guard to garrison Beijing, right?"

  This remark made Zhang Biao's whole body shake. He had only just learned of this matter that morning when he sent someone to the Japanese concession to send a telegram and contact Beijing. He hadn't expected Yang Qiu to reveal it all in one breath, and what's more, he was so clear about the troop numbers heading south, as if they were under his command. How is this possible? Does Yang Qiu have someone inside the capital?!

  "How did you know?!" Zhang Biao's tone remained the same, but Yue Peng and others all heard the astonishment and trembling in his words. The shock in their hearts was not one bit less than Zhang Biao's. After all, Yang Qiu had never left the camp in these few days, nor had he received any telegrams. How could he be so familiar with Manchu's military deployment?!

  "Don't glare at me, and don't ask how I knew. It's not necessary." Yang Qiu walked over, a faint smile on his face: "Two towns, three cooperatives, the Beiyang Army - this handwriting is quite bold, unfortunately..."

  Zhang Biao was also attracted by his words and unknowingly asked, "What a pity?"

  "Unfortunately, they are not the troops of Yinwu Building... It's hard to say whether they can be mobilized or not?" Yang Qiu's face suddenly turned cold: "Pitiful, I really feel sorry for him. With tens of thousands of elite soldiers and powerful generals, their ships and artillery are far superior, but unfortunately, only a handful can be mobilized. Thinking of relying on such an army to conquer Wuchang... Hmph! They're asking for death!"

  Zhang Biao, who has been in this position for so many years as the eighth town of E Jun, is naturally not a mediocre person. Perhaps he is not good at fighting, but after fighting with Rui Cheng for so many years, his mind has long been familiar with it. How can't he hear Yang Qiu's implicit meaning? He listened to him analyzing several troops in a clear and logical manner, and his face also changed suddenly.

  Although he and Yuan Shikai were not close friends, he knew the man's ferocity well. At this critical moment, how could he be willing to continue hiding in a small mountain nest? He would definitely take advantage of this opportunity to make waves! If they couldn't suppress this dragon, recapturing Wuchang would just be empty talk.

  Yang Qiu walked up to Terase Shūmu and smiled, saying: "Terase Shūmu, you must have been in China for many years now? I think you should be able to understand our language. I know what you're thinking - that you are a warrior of the Great Japanese Empire's Emperor, and that I don't dare kill you, right?"

  Ji Xiuxiu's mouse eyes had shrunk into a cold star, and his crotch emitted a foul odor.

  "Unfortunately, you will never know one thing......" Yang Qiu slowly pulled out his pistol, and Xiao Anguo's face changed when he saw it. He just wanted to speak but was held back by Song Ziqing.

  "Taking advantage of Chinese students going to Japan, taking advantage of hot-blooded men eager to overthrow the Qing dynasty, pretending to provide assistance but actually wanting to mess us up and ruin us, so that they can invade Manchuria and even the whole of China! You use traitors like Sheng Xuanhuai to control the cotton industry! Control Han Ye Ping! Every year you get tens of millions of tons of iron sand and steel, and the Hanyang Steel Factory's several million tons of steel are mostly transported back to Japan! If it weren't for Han Ye Ping's coal and iron, your army wouldn't have enough big guns! Your navy would be a mere castle in the air! Am I right? What a great plan, what a wonderful peaceful evolution... unfortunately, you miscalculated one thing... that is... this lifetime, what I hate most is Japan...... Bang!"

  Yang Qiu did not kill Temple West Xi Wu, but just shot a gun at his toes, scaring him to kneel down on the spot.

  Song Ziqing and others took a deep breath, nodding secretly. This analysis of Japan's infiltration into China was indeed earth-shattering, and the fact that he restrained his impulse to kill Terasei Hidetake for the time being also showed that he was not a reckless person. It wasn't that killing this Japanese man would be troublesome, but rather that in order to thoroughly silence him, they would need to kill Zhang Biao as well; otherwise, if Zhang Biao were to spread the word at some point, it would be very troublesome. However, killing the main general might seem refreshing, but it wouldn't be beneficial for their reputation. For Yang Qiu and the Right Route Army, who had just started out, this would be a loss that wasn't worth the gain. It was just that Terasei Hidetake... He glanced at Yue Peng, and the two exchanged a smile; after all, they still needed to take care of these people themselves.

  "Admiral... if you can let go, then let go. Going abroad might be a good choice for you. Your generation... is already old!" Looking at Zhang Biao's pale face, Yang Qiu put away his gun and said proudly: "Notify the troops to pack up and return to the city! Let everyone see clearly that this era belongs to us!"