Chapter 46: The Day of Rise (Part 1)

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  The knock at the door stopped Yang Qiu, who was studying a map on the second floor, and he turned to see that Bingwen, Hu Lao San, and Lei Meng had already entered. Upon seeing him, Bingwen immediately said: "Sir, Xiao Da Ge sent someone to deliver a message. There was an incident at Xiao Chao Street last night. The City Patrol Battalion launched a surprise attack based on the confession of a captured man named Liu Tong. This morning, Rui Cun executed four of them, and that Jiang Yiwu you mentioned is said to have escaped."

  Liu Tong! Yang Qiu secretly felt sorry for this young man: "They are also generous scholars, unfortunately..."

  "Let's not think about it for now, let's just kill a few more Manchu bastards and consider it revenge." Seeing Bingwen being so optimistic, Yang Qiu shook his head seriously and said: "Don't think that just because we're also rebels, they'll easily believe us. It's better to be cautious."

  Hu Lao San said: "I don't like them, they have no military discipline at all, it's better to rely on us brothers being down-to-earth."

  Lei Meng was even more straightforward, saying that he would do it himself, and was glared at by Yang Qiu, who didn't continue the topic. He took out the hidden bullets from the cabinet and began to distribute them. Due to the detailed drawings, Su Hongsheng had privately manufactured 10 M1911s and 8 Mausers in a month. Four M1911s were given to Yue Peng and Zhang Wenjing, who each kept one and gave another to their trusted attendants. The three men in front also received two each. As for the eight Mausers, they were distributed to Xiao Anguo, Ma Kui, and Dong Zhanggui.

  Although they had guns, bullets were still a big problem. Even though Yang Qiu had previously ordered some to be made, there were only 200 rounds left, so each person only got 40 rounds.

  "After all, the adults are formidable. Without making a sound, they locked up Qiu Wenbin and his gang. Now no one has anything to say. Who let them violate military orders?" Lei Meng loaded bullets into the magazine while constantly patting the horse's buttocks.

  Wen also smiled and said: "Just now, the second and third battalions, Mr. Yue and Mr. Zhang, also sent a letter saying that your method is really effective. They have isolated 87 people on their side for using firearms against orders, so tonight we can take action without worrying about being shot in the back or having a second voice!"

  "Didn't Guo Xing and Chen Shanyou take advantage of the situation?"

  "Guo Er Xing originally wanted to hand it over to the constabulary, but was stopped by Yue Daren, and Chen Shanyou did not make a move."

  "It's still good that the adults' brains are useful, and it was solved so simply. Unlike Rui Cang, that old dog is still messing around." Hu Lao San and Lei Meng both burst out laughing. The three of them had already become Yang Qiu's trusted aides, so a few days ago Yang Qiu also told them what they were going to do today.

  After all the bullets were loaded into the magazine, the three of them became a bit tense. Hu Lao San knew the importance of the bullets and hastily asked: "Sir, are these bullets enough for us?"

  Yang Qiu didn't know that the bullets had become a big problem, and he was also getting anxious. Originally, he thought that Shen Shu-kai, who was supposed to be the most reliable, had been delayed for six whole days and still hadn't sent any news.

  Although there is Xiao An'guo as an insider on the Chu Wang Tai side, and management is not as strict as in later generations, getting bullets should not be a big problem. However, to ensure safety, after entering the arsenal, they must wait for the sound of gunfire from the engineering camp before pretending to be a rebel army and rushing all the way to Xunsi River to cross the river. The earliest time would be half an hour.

  As for the third source of ammunition replenishment, it was also a thorny issue. According to later records, after the military government took control of the gun factory, more than 60 field mountain guns were found here, with over 100 other large-caliber artillery pieces and hundreds of thousands of shells, including 1 million rounds produced by Hanyang Arsenal and over 30 million bullets.

  However, after a period of secret investigation, he found that this number had a large water content and was likely said by the Northern Warlords to stabilize the military at that time. The biggest evidence for this is that after the ceasefire, the Nationalist Party sent Zhang Zhenwu with a huge sum of money to Shanghai to purchase weapons from foreigners. If there were so many bullets, why would they need to seek foreign aid?

  According to Su Hongsheng, the arsenal was shut down a few years ago due to insufficient funding and has not produced any large-caliber artillery since then. The new army's 75mm Krupp field guns all came from the Jiangnan Arsenal, while the remaining ones were 57mm mountain guns that had been copied earlier. As for rifles and ammunition, there shouldn't be that many either. With Rui Cheng and Zhang Biao's management style, they wouldn't have left such a large "arsenal" outside easily. Why bother going to the dangerous Chuwangtai when the insurgents could directly seize the arsenal?

  However, there should also be some guns and ammunition, but the direction has always been unclear. After the artillery camp had an accident, Rui Cun sent a patrol to take away all the bullets and guns produced every day, saying they were being sent to Chu Wangtai. But he carefully observed that the so-called transport ships did not draw much water, so it can be confirmed that they are still within the Han Yang border. The most important thing is that since the battle has not yet started, they cannot openly go and arrest the gun factory and those flag people in charge, so bullets have become a big problem.

  Yang Qiu suddenly felt a severe headache and immediately said: "I asked the gun factory before, they said that during this period of time, Rui Cheng and Zhang Biao were in charge very strictly, every day's output would be taken away by a special person and transported back to Chu Wangtai, but I always feel that something is not right. These days, there are not many ships coming and going, so the ammunition must still be within the Han Yang border. Lei Meng, you immediately think of a way to investigate again. If after an hour of fighting in Wuchang, we still can't get the bullets, then we must cancel all plans!"

  "Hu Lao San, I'm leaving the task of keeping an eye on Qiu Wenbin and his men to you. No matter what happens within the next two days, under no circumstances can you let them out to cause trouble for us!"

  "Bingwen, hurry up and go to Hankou once, confirm the action plan with the second and third battalions again, and ask Dong Zhanggui if he has contacted Shen Shukai, we can't wait any longer." Bingwen knew that he had been unable to eat or sleep well for these few days because of bullets and ammunition, so he didn't delay and immediately went out.

  Looking at the figures leaving one by one, Yang Qiu took a deep breath and finally waited for this day! This means that due to worries about Rui Cheng and the Democratic Party's pincer attack, the careful, cautious, and even chaotic measures that had to be taken can now be thrown away!

  I can finally proudly step onto the stage of this era!

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  "Yes, please trouble Yang to inform him that contact has been made and he can arrive within two days at most!" After sending off Bingwen, Dong Zhanggui bowed and sent him off. Only then did Shen Shukai come out of the inner room, let out a sigh and sat down in the chair.

  "Manager, is this...?" Dong Zhanggui also smiled wryly when he saw him. If Yang Qiu knew that the rented American ship was actually anchored ten miles away, it's unknown what kind of trouble would arise. Shen Shukai also sighed and raised his head, saying: "Dong Zhanggui, I have no intention of making things difficult for him to swallow this fortune, but..."

  "I know."

  Dong, the shopkeeper, was a shrewd and astute man who couldn't help but understand why Shen Shu-kai had been slow to hand over the military supplies to Yang Qiu. He said: "Manager, you have a great responsibility on your shoulders. The several thousand people of Heshun cannot withstand turmoil. If Yang Qiu were to take up arms and rebel, I'm afraid we would not be able to escape either. However..." He gritted his teeth and continued: "Have you thought about it? Yang Qiu's army is stationed at the arsenal, where there will inevitably be some guns and ammunition left behind. If he occupies that place and succeeds in his plans, wouldn't we be finished both inside and out?"

  Shen Shukai also sighed, his thoughts were indeed expressed by Dong Zhanggui. He was indeed afraid of being implicated with Heshengyuan, so he had been suppressing the military supplies and not handing them over to Yang Qiu. After all, the lives of thousands of people were at stake in his mind, and he didn't dare to make a move easily. But what if Dong Zhanggui was right? If he succeeded, wouldn't he have offended someone?

  "After some thought, he said: 'Looking at his appearance, it's so urgent, I reckon it'll be just these two days. If something big happens in Wuchang within three days, I'll personally go to apologize and admit my fault. If not, I can only offend him.'"

  Seeing Shen Shu Kai had made up his mind, Manager Dong could no longer ask more questions and had to bid farewell to go take a look at Miao Luo. Just as he walked to the door, he saw the escort guard who was sent to protect them covering his head and running in.

  "Boss Dong, that...that girl she...she knocked me out and ran away!"

  "What?!"

  Dong Zhuangui's butt landed on the ground, his eyes rolled back and he almost fainted. What kind of timing is this? This lady is going to be the death of them! Shen Shukai also panicked and suddenly stood up. This is no small matter. If Yang Qiu comes in a few days and they can't hand over the person, combined with the delay in military supplies, it will all add up...

  This is really screwed up.

  Miao Luo didn't know how much trouble she had gotten herself into. At this moment, she was walking on the Hankou Wharf in the Chinese concession area. Hundreds of coolies were coming and going between the warehouses and cargo ships. Due to the increasingly tense atmosphere in the three towns, there were also more patrolling soldiers and police on the streets. She quietly lowered her veil and slipped into a small alleyway. After walking about 100 meters along the narrow alleyway, she suddenly stopped because she saw hundreds of people wearing black silk clothes, members of the Yangtze River Gang, crowded in front of her.

  She wasn't the first time to come to Changjiang Bang, previously when she was looking for an opportunity to assassinate Yang Qiu, she had been living here for a while. According to seniority, the current leader Rui Yao is still her Shifu Jie, but seeing these people holding knives and guns, with a ferocious appearance, among them even two Japanese Ronin, made her frown suddenly, quietly pulling out her pistol.

  Behind the crowd, in the warehouse, a table was set up. Jin Liuyi sat at the table, smoking and fiddling with two revolvers. Behind him, more than a dozen burly men also inserted two guns each, staring intently at the few people opposite them. Their eyes occasionally slid over to a woman with a prominent figure in the middle, finally stopping on her ample buttocks that even her loose trousers couldn't cover.

  The woman, about twenty-five or six years old, had her hair tied up, wearing a light blue qipao with a wide belt around her waist, on which a left-handed pistol was inserted. Her waist was tightly wrapped, making her chest more prominent. However, she seemed to ignore the gaze of the person in front of her, her eyes staring coldly at Jin Ming Sheng like stars, her eyebrows almost twisted into a "川" shape, as she shouted: "Jin Ming Sheng, what do you want to do? Gathering so many helpers?"

  Just as the woman had finished loading her bullets, a man in his 40s, wearing a green shirt and looking elegant, appeared behind her and quickly pulled out his gun to be on guard. The warehouse was suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder.

  "Hey, isn't this our Rui Bangzhu? You're not in a hurry to find a man to marry, are you? Do I still need to tell you what I want to do?" Jin Liang looked at the woman with a cold smile: "I'm responding to the Hongmen General Hall's order, preparing to replace heaven and kill Tartars for revolution. This is about to happen, in the chaos of war, if something happens to you, how can I explain it to Lao Bangzhu? I think it's better to just follow me, when I become a high official, you'll be the official wife, and you won't have to wander around in the wind and rain every day."

  "Damn it!" The man in the green shirt heard Jin Liuxu's foul language and immediately slammed his hand on the table, but the woman quickly stopped him: "Uncle Chang, don't bother with him."

  The woman said, her eyes scanned towards Jin Li again and said: "Don't think I don't know what you're paying attention to. For so many years, the reason why Jiang Bang has been able to navigate the Yangtze River smoothly is because of the two words 'faith' and 'righteousness'. Absolutely do not engage in unscrupulous business!"

  "What an unjust deal!" Jin Zui was poked to the pain, suddenly stood up with one foot on the table, viciously pointing at his nose and scolding: "Rui Yao, you stinky bitch, I'm giving you face because of your dead father's sake, calling you 'help master'. Today I'm going to make a revolution, taking those Manchu landlord's wealth, what's wrong with that? Besides, so many brothers in the gang need to eat and drink, how are you going to support them? Are you going to... let them drink your milk?"

  Haha......

  Jin's shameless words made his accomplices burst out laughing, all staring at Rui Yao's proud and plump breasts. Rui Yao couldn't help but feel a little nervous too. But thinking of himself as the leader of the gang, he gritted his teeth and pretended not to see it, scolding: "Although my Changjiang Gang has left the Hongmen and established its own door, we are still brothers. The Hongmen's order to kill the Tartars is naturally not to be outdone, but what about you now? You're always thinking of unrighteous moves, what's your intention?"

  "Go to hell, my intention is to sleep with you, how about it?!" Jin Liang slapped the table fiercely and scolded: "Stinky bitch, I'm going to do great things today, don't waste my time with your nonsense. You'd better go back and clean up your ass, wait until I become a big shot and hold a high position, then I'll use eight sedan chairs to marry you!"

  Jin Wai Di finished speaking and waved his hand, then led the gang to run out. Seeing them being so disrespectful to their leader, Rui Yao suddenly gritted her silver teeth and turned to ask: "Chang Shu, how many men do we have left?"

  Chang Shu's name was Chang Si, he was Rui Yao's father and also the former leader's confidant, always treating her as his own. Seeing that she had a desperate look in her eyes, he hastily dissuaded her: "There are still some people left, it's just......"

  Following the gaze of Chang Si, Rui Yao saw those so-called people, old and young, none of whom could compare to Jin Yan's subordinates. Suddenly her eyes turned red, and she almost burst into tears.

  Chang Si let out a sigh and put away his gun, saying: "Boss, these years Jin Zui has relied on those party members and also has military rank, I think you should just tolerate it."

  One sentence made Rui Yao, who had been struggling to inherit her father's will, leave tears in her eyes, and she sniffled as she said: "I don't care about Jin Lianyi, I'm just worried about the brothers from the gang who went out with him. If they get caught this time, their lives will be in danger."

  "The leader's righteousness is great, but......" Chang Si glanced around at the gradually dispersing gang members and shook his head, saying: "You probably can't control him, I heard that Mr. Sun's brother has arrived in Wuchang, yesterday's concession and this morning's Wuchang incidents indicate that they will take action within these few days, now the military is also full of Jin Laiyi's accomplices, as long as he doesn't cause trouble for foreigners, even if he turns Hankou upside down no one will care, let alone when he has the justification of killing foreigners, those individuals probably can't wait for him to make some money to supplement their needs, so in my opinion...... you'd better go to Shanghai, to avoid getting taken advantage of again when he comes back."

  Rui Yao heard Chang Si say this, and her heart was even more resentful. She scolded: "What's wrong with the Party? I still don't believe they dare to oppose us. Our Hongmen and Yangtze River Gang have been helping them for years..."

  "Master, don't talk nonsense, this world... what can be believed?" Chang Si also saw through it early and interrupted: "Haven't you seen the moral character of Jin Liyetou? Even if they overthrow the Tartars, these people will probably not end up well. I think you should leave first to avoid trouble."

  "I won't leave! I promised Father that I would take good care of the gang, if they want to rob us then let them, at worst I'll go and grab something too!" Rui Yao was still young after all, seeing everyone leaving, her wild nature suddenly emerged, grabbing a cup and wanting to smash it outside.

  The cup was still in her hand when she suddenly felt a dizziness before her eyes, and then saw a familiar figure walking in, her beautiful eyes widening abruptly.

  "Ru Shi Jie, who are you going to snatch?"

  "Lu Mei... you're not dead?"