Chapter 51: The Spy

  "This...” Zhou Xuanzhang hesitated in his heart. Liu Buxian recommended him to find Zuo Baogui, because Zuo Baogui had some connections with Liu Buxian and could provide some protection. This Song Qing was unfamiliar, working under him made Zhou Xuanzhang feel uncertain. If Song Qing found out about his offense against Li Hongzhang, the consequences would be unpredictable...

  Zhang Xun became impatient: "Zhou Xuanzhang, don't you hurry up and thank Commander-in-Chief!"

  Bǎozǒng is a ninth-grade military officer, the lowest rank among military officers. However, it is also an official who eats imperial salary. A small soldier promoted to Bǎozǒng in the Qing army is not an easy task.

  Song Qing laughed and said, "Zhou Xianzhang, are you worried about Liu Buxuan? Don't worry, Liu Buxuan's place, the commander-in-chief will go and tell him clearly. Currently, it is the time for our great Qing to use people, I think Liu Buxuan won't be stingy with a single soldier. You followed Liu Buxuan to fight against Japan, and following me is also to fight against Japan!"

  Song Qing's words hit Zhou Xianzhang's heart. Fighting the devils, this is grandfather's will, finding Zuo Baogui is also for fighting the devils, same goal!

  Zhou Xuan Zhang no longer hesitated and raised his hand in a salute: "Zhou Xuan Zhang is willing to serve under Director Song!"

  Zhang Xun snorted: "You dare to play with this Western toy in front of the Admiral!"

  Song Qing burst out laughing: "General Zhang, it seems that this Western military salute is quite spirited! How magnificent!"

  ……

  The next day at dawn, three battalions of well-equipped troops rode out of the camp under the faint light of Venus and hurried to the Yalu River.

  Zhou Xuzhang led a vanguard of over 100 men, marching at the very front, while Zhang Xun brought up the rear with a battalion of 500 men and ten field guns. In between were two battalions of main force.

  When I arrived at the riverbank, the sky was just beginning to brighten up, and a mist rose from the surface of the river. On the shallow beach by the river, dense reeds grew, swaying gently in the morning breeze, making soft rustling sounds.

  The vast river surface is quiet, and the opposite bank is a continuous range of mountains that cannot be seen at a glance. In the faint light of dawn, it casts a dark silhouette, like a group of demons and ghosts.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang walked in the center of the team, and the front team suddenly stopped.

  Qirenah ran hastily over; he was an old soldier and had been stationed at the outpost.

  Na Ha Wu turned to face Zhou Xian Zhang, who was about to kneel down. Zhou Xian Zhang shouted: "Didn't I tell you all yesterday that my squad doesn't do kneeling bows!"

  Last night, Zhou Xuan Zhang took office and gathered more than 100 people from the whole squadron. He only talked about one thing: the squadron would no longer use the kneeling bowing ceremony; soldiers would salute their superiors with Western-style military salutes instead. Zhou Xuan Zhang personally demonstrated it to everyone.

  Who would have thought that these soldiers' actions of kneeling and kowtowing were extremely standardized, each one was an expert, familiar with the routine. But when they were asked to salute, it was not easy for old Zhou Xianzhang to use his strength, teaching them for two hours, but still they were clumsy, it didn't look like a salute, but rather like monkeying around, and what's even more infuriating is that the one being monkeyed around wasn't them, but rather Commander Zhou Xianzhang himself!

  Zhou Xuanzhang only then realized that the kneeling and bowing ceremony he wanted to change had taken root in the cells of this nation thousands of years ago, and had become their inherited genes even before these soldiers were born! Changing the kneeling and bowing ceremony was by no means something that could be accomplished overnight.

  The next day still had to rush, Zhou Xianzhang could only hastily conclude.

  Na Ha Wu was scolded, but his knees had already bent and couldn't be straightened, with a thud, he crashed to the ground, hurting so much that he gritted his teeth, hastily got up again, and beckoned to Zhou Xuan Zhang with a wave of his hand, somewhat like a master calling a dog.

  Zhou Xuanzhang was so angry he couldn't help but laugh, this is what Ha Wu Jing's military salute looks like!

  "What's wrong with you?" Zhou Xiangzhang shouted irritably.

  "Report to the commander, two spies have been caught in the reeds."

  "Spy? Bring him over!" Zhou Xuan Zhang was shocked. The troops had not yet crossed the river, but the Japanese already knew about it. If things went on like this, how could they fight this battle?

  "Yip!" The five battalions of the Ha army shouted in unison, and were about to kneel down again, their knees bent halfway, when they hastily straightened up and made another beckoning gesture at Zhou Xuan Zhang before turning around and dashing off.

  "Damn you!" Zhou Xuan Zhang cursed loudly at the back of He Wu.

  Before long, Hei Wu and new soldier Yao Xi brought two people over and pushed them to the ground at Zhou Xuan Zhang's feet.

  Two people were slender and short in stature, wearing long gowns and horsehair hats, with their heads bowed.

  Na Ha Wu raised his hand again, wanting to "call the dog". Zhou Xian Zhang hastily said: "Forget it, forget it! Let's find a secluded place to practice first! How did you know they were spies?"

  "Report to the Grand Master, these two people were hiding in the reeds. When they saw us coming, they took off running with suspicious behavior, sneaking around. Moreover, it's already July and so hot, yet these two guys are still wearing long gowns and fur hats. This is just too abnormal! I suspect they don't have queues (braids) and are probably Japanese."

  Zhou Xuanzhang nodded slightly, this Na Ha Wu is indeed an old soldier, his manners are not good, but his eyes are still useful, and the clothes of these two people are indeed problematic.

  "Look up!" Zhou Xuan Zhang shouted.

  Two people knelt on the ground, without lifting their heads.

  Yao Xi was furious: "You dog, you dare to be a spy for the Japanese, but you don't dare to show your face. I'll beat you to death!" Yao Xi raised his rifle butt, ready to strike down.

  Zhou Xuanzhang grabbed the rifle in Yao Xi's hand and scolded, "Damn it, you little bastard! You're holding a Winchester M1894! You're ruining the most advanced rifle of the great Qing dynasty!"

  A crisp voice sounded from underfoot: "We are not spies! Brother Zhou, we really aren't spies!"

  Zhou Xuanzhang looked down and saw a dark face looking up at him, with a pair of apricot eyes and a pair of willow eyebrows.

  Zhou Xuanzhang pushed Yao Xi away with one hand: "Girl!"

  Kneeling at Zhou Xuanzhang's feet were Jin Shu and her mother, both dressed in men's clothing of the Qing Dynasty, their faces smeared with charcoal.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang felt at ease, Jin Shu mother and daughter dressed as men, of course, had to wear a fur hat, hiding in the reeds, seeing soldiers passing by, naturally had to avoid them.

  "Stand up and talk," said Zhou Xianzhang.

  "Thank you, Uncle Zhou." Jin and her mother stood up.

  Na Ha Wu hastily said: "Master, I, Na Ha Wu, have a keen eye for spotting scoundrels...I can tell at a glance that they are spies..."

  "Bullshit! You're a pair of dog eyes!" Zhou Xuan Zhang shouted: "These are two women!"

  Na Ha Wu and Yao Xi were shocked, took a closer look, and exclaimed in unison: "Master's eyes are like fire and gold, we can't compare to him!"

  In the Qing dynasty, flattering and fawning on one's superiors was a basic skill that everyone possessed.

  Zhou Xuan Zhang ignored Hei Wu and asked: "Girl, how did you all end up here?"

  "We want to go home and find my dad."

  "Didn't I tell you yesterday that we're going to war? You'd better not go back."

  "Thanks to Brother Zhou's kindness, but we haven't seen Father for many years, and now he has finally returned to Korea. We must go find him!" Jin Shu's attitude was firm: "But when we arrived at the riverbank, the boatmen refused to take us across the river. We had no choice but to hide in a reed thicket, where we ran into them. They insisted that we were spies."

  "The imperial court has issued an order to seal off the river, and no one is allowed to cross it." Zhou Xianzhang said.

  "What can we do?" Jin Shu's eyes were shining with tears: "Brother Zhou, please help us one more time, take us across the river, okay?"

  "This won't do." Going to Korea, they might encounter the Japanese army at any time, and it's very inconvenient to bring two women along. Moreover, the Qing army has military rules, and there can't be women in the barracks!

  Jin Shu's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Brother Zhou, you're a good man, can you help us one more time?"

  "Who is your father?" Zhou Xianzhang asked.