Chapter Fifty-Seven: Iron Law

  With his guards on war horses, Zhao Bei first headed west, then turned north, passing through the fields and galloping straight to Qintai. But when they were still a few miles away from Qintai, they saw in the distance a troop retreating southward in disarray.

  "Dismount!" Zhao Bei shouted, turning over and dismounting his horse. He walked with his hands behind him to the top of the field, while Tian Jin led the guards to intercept those fleeing soldiers, gathering them together for questioning. It turned out that they were from the troops that had attacked Qintai, under the command of Deng Gang from the Qunchi Xueshe.

  "Where is your commander? Where is Deng Gang?" Zhao Bei asked the soldiers one by one, but got no answer. Just as he was getting angry, he heard Tian Jinfu shouting behind him.

  "There! Deng Gang is coming!"

  Zhao Bei turned his head and looked around, and indeed saw a group of government soldiers dragging their guns and retreating in this direction. He let out a cold hum.

  "Tian Jinfu, wait until Deng Gang comes over, then take off his gun belt and bring it in front of me."

  Having said that, he walked to one side and directed the defeated soldiers to gather in formation.

  "Minister Deng Gang, I've seen the Commander-in-Chief." A voice came from behind, sounding somewhat dejected.

  Zhao Bei turned around and saw that Deng Gang had a bandage wrapped around his head, his left arm was in a sling, and his military uniform was covered in mud and blood. Because Tian Jinfu had also taken away his gun belt, he looked even more disheveled.

  Zhao Beichen's face sank as he asked, "How many bullets did you take?"

  Deng pointed to his shoulder and then to his head, saying: "I was shot in the shoulder, and my forehead was scratched by shrapnel."

  "Does it hurt?" Zhao Bei asked again.

  Deng Gang hung his head and didn't dare to speak, but the cold air he drew in couldn't conceal it. He had been shot in the shoulder without anesthesia, of course it hurt so much that he was sweating all over.

  "You also know pain! Don't they know pain!" Zhao Bei raised his hand and pointed at the retreating soldiers, shouting loudly. "Deng Gang! Lift up your head and take a look! Which of these soldiers, which of these officers, doesn't have wounds? All of this is thanks to you! My battle plan was firepower reconnaissance, tactical containment, not a charge! What are you doing? How did Yang Wangpeng give you orders?"

  "It wasn't Commander Yang's decision, I took the initiative to order a strong attack." Deng Gang raised his head, but as soon as he met Zhao Bei's piercing gaze, he immediately lowered it again. "But I didn't expect that the enemy on Qintai had four machine guns, and the artillery from Guishan and Hanyang also joined in to assist, our troops attacked several times but were unable to succeed."

  "You little scoundrel, you really are something! One man does the job and one man takes the blame! Without artillery cover, you dare to charge with bayonets? Do you think you're invincible?

  Zhao Bei sneered, suppressing the urge to go up and slap him twice. "You should thank Zhu Dabull, you should thank the Special Warfare Brigade! If they hadn't blown up the Northern Army's ammunition stored at the train station, you little scoundrel would have been blown to pieces by now. And I wouldn't be wasting my breath talking to you.

  I ask you, how many of your 2,000 soldiers are left?"

  Deng Gang was speechless.

  Zhao Bei wouldn't let him pretend to be mute, and said with a scowl: "I'm telling you! There are less than 500 people still standing here! Half of them are wounded! In just four hours, 2,000 men were reduced to 500 by you, and one and a half battalions were wiped out in an instant! Don't think that just because you're also wounded, I won't settle accounts with you. A soldier's life is also a life, fighting requires bravery, but it doesn't mean you can squander soldiers' lives at will! If you want to charge forward alone, I don't care, but if you make soldiers sacrifice their lives for your glory, I'm the first one who won't agree!"

  It's no wonder that Zhao Bei was furious, the second echelon led by Yang Wangpeng was reorganized from the original Jiangsu New Army Ninth Town, mixed with some patrol battalion soldiers. Although not as well-trained as the Beiyang Army, they were still regular military trained troops, with combat effectiveness far higher than the Revolutionary Guard, and were considered elite troops of the Republican Army. But now Deng Gang had a brain fever and lost over 1,000 men in an instant, anyone would be furious.

  Seeing the Commander-in-Chief get angry, Deng Gang was speechless, and several officers standing behind him hesitated for a moment before finally stepping out one by one, standing shoulder to shoulder with Deng Gang, saluting Zhao Bei and saying: "Commander-in-Chief, please calm down. Comrade Deng did not intentionally act rashly, after the second charge failed, Comrade Deng ordered the retreat, but unexpectedly the Beiyang Army also hid two machine guns on the roofs of the houses on the flank of our main position, and suddenly opened fire to intercept us when we were retreating, which caused heavy casualties. If it weren't for Comrade Deng personally covering the rear, the remaining people might not have been able to retreat."

  "You don't have to plead for him!" Zhao Bei waved his hand. "At first glance, this matter seems to be just him taking unauthorized orders to launch a strong attack, but in essence, it is disobeying military orders! The Revolutionary Army is a new force, and I will not tolerate the old-fashioned army's way of doing things. If subordinates can arbitrarily change their superiors' battle plans, then this battle doesn't need to be fought, because such an army is simply going to die on the battlefield! Such a meaningless death, you may be willing, but I am not! Tian Jinfu!"

  "Present!" Tian Jinfu had been standing aside with several guards and hastened to take a step forward in salute when Zhao Bei called out to him.

  "Tear off his insignia! From now on, Deng Gang, you are no longer a member of the Republican Army!" Zhao Bei ordered expressionlessly. At this time, the Republican Army had not yet been formally reorganized, and officers did not have epaulets, with only collar badges to distinguish between ranks.

  "What right do you have to expel me?" Deng Gang finally panicked and raised his head to question.

  "What are you relying on? You still have a 'big mistake' that hasn't been revoked! How dare you arbitrarily change the superior's military order, do you think you are a special warfare regiment? If it weren't for your contributions in the Huangni Gang Uprising, I would definitely shoot you!" Zhao Beihao shouted. "Tian Jinfu, have someone take him away and bring him to the staff office! After the battle is over, set up a military tribunal, openly and fairly try him, the crime is 'resisting military orders'!"

  "I won't accept it! I won't accept it! You're framing me for personal reasons! Taking revenge in the name of justice!" Deng Gang struggled desperately, tearing off the bandage that was supporting his arm, pointing at the wound on his shoulder. "Look here! I wasn't hiding behind anyone's back, I was charging forward! I'm not a deserter!"

  But Zhao Bei didn't allow him to argue, waving his hand and several guards finally took Deng Gang away.

  Subordinates arbitrarily changing the orders of their superiors is absolutely intolerable in any army, and this opportunity must be used to severely punish those arrogant soldiers and generals.

  Once an order is given, subordinates must unconditionally obey their superiors, this is the iron law of the army! This iron law can only be cultivated by relying on strict discipline, and it must be engraved as a habit in the depths of every soldier's soul.

  Tian Jinfu handed the torn military badge to Zhao Bei, who looked at the bloodstains on it for a long time without saying a word. The handling of Deng Gang was indeed overly cautious, but consideration had to be given to the stability of the troops, after all, he was a key member of the Qunchu Xueshe and now was a critical moment in the battle, and Deng Gang was not one to flee in the face of danger.

  "What's your name?" Zhao Bei raised his head and asked the young military officer who had just spoken on behalf of Deng Gang. Judging from his insignia, he was a regiment commander.

  "The officer in charge is Qin Shouzheng." The military officer said.

  Zhao Bei nodded, handed over Deng Gang's military badge and said: "From now on, Deng Gang's position will be taken over by you. These 500 people are under your command. You immediately lead them to Parrot Island for rest and reorganization, and quickly select suitable soldiers from the Revolutionary Guard to strive for a quick recovery of the establishment."

  Qin Shouzheng did not decline, took over the military emblem, saluted and retreated, and together with several other officers, reorganized the troops and withdrew to the south.

  "Commander, we should retreat too. We can't take down Qintai, and now we're on the front line." Tian Jinfu led over a war horse and handed the reins to Zhao Bei.

  Zhao Bei did not retreat immediately, but instead turned around and looked northward.

  To his left was a vast lake, the Moon Lake, divided into two parts by a dragon lantern dam. The north shore of the lake was the site of the Hanyang Iron and Steel Works and the munitions factory under it, which was also where the Qing army's position was located. Now, the second echelon of the revolutionary army had advanced westward along the south shore of the lake and established a position on the lakeside, facing off against the Qing army across the lake. To Zhao's right, a low mountain rose above the horizon - that was the Turtle Mountain, the commanding height near Hanyang. Once it was occupied, one could look down upon the entire battlefield from a height. In the Xinhai Revolution of history, the revolutionary army had set up artillery positions there to bombard the city of Hanyang.

  However, at present, Guishan is under the control of the Qing army, and Zhao Bei does not plan to take it immediately. He can only lift the threat of the Qing army to the flanks and rear of the attacking troops after taking down Hanyang City.

  According to the intelligence transmitted by Zhu Daniu's special warfare camp, the Beiyang Army that arrived in Hankou had at most 3,000 people. Due to the bombardment of the "Chu Guan" and "Gong He" two gunboats, the Beiyang Army lost at least hundreds of people. The remaining 2,000 people could only cross the river from the upper reaches of the Han River and reinforce Hanyang.

  According to comprehensive intelligence, the Beiyang Army defending Hankou is divided into four parts. One part is stationed at the arsenal, one part is stationed inside and outside Hankou City, another part is stationed in the area of Qintai, forming a pincer movement with the Beiyang troops stationed on Guishan. The main force of the Beiyang Army on Guishan is artillery, which set up an artillery position at the top of the mountain, using large cannons to bombard the Republican Army's positions near Hankou City from a height. However, since the Republican Army retreated in time to outside the range of the Beiyang Army's cannons, there are no longer any cannon sounds on Guishan now. This may also be due to the Beiyang Army running out of ammunition. The huge explosion at Liujiatang Railway Station in Hankou not only shocked the Qing army but also destroyed the Beiyang Army's arsenal.

  However, according to the prisoners' confessions, the Hanyang Arsenal originally stored some old-fashioned cannons and shells, which did not match the field artillery specifications of the Northern Army and could not be used universally. Nevertheless, the Northern Army apparently did not abandon those old-fashioned guns, and new and old cannons were dragged up to Guishan together to provide artillery support for the Hanyang defenders.

  These big guns even posed a certain threat to the gunboats on the Yangtze River, and the wooden-hulled "Republic" did not dare to get close, while the steel-hulled "Chu Kuan" could only fire from a distance, and there were not enough shells to open fire.

  So the Beiyang Army artillery positions on Guishan could only be taken by infantry.