Insufficient balance

  As soon as Huang An-yuan's dozens of cavalrymen rushed over, the people in the patrol camp didn't even resist and directly dispersed. The soldiers of the third battalion who were transporting ammunition were shocked by the cavalry charge and also came out from several houses that had been resisting!

  "Huang An-yuan rode his horse over: 'Brothers of the Third Battalion, you have worked hard. Huang has arrived late and hopes for your forgiveness. Who is in charge here?'"

  A young officer emerged from the third camp: "I am Zheng Anling, under Li Guan's command!" This person looked extremely young, and his expression was not chaotic at all. He couldn't help but make Huang Anyuan look up to him. Immediately, Huang Anyuan also dismounted his horse and walked over, saying: "I am the cavalry squadron officer Huang Anyuan, here to receive ammunition on Commander Chen's orders!"

  "Commander Chen?" As soon as Zheng Anling heard the two words "commander", his face changed: "Could it be that something has already happened?"

  Huang Anyuan saw that he also seemed to know about the uprising from his words, and thought that Li Jimin would definitely send a trusted person to handle such a secretive matter as transporting ammunition. He thought that this person should also know the inside story of tomorrow's event, so he said: "Indeed, you were discovered by the patrol camp while transporting ammunition, if we don't act ahead of time, it will be too late!"

  Zheng Anling also had a look of regret: "It's all our fault, we were in a hurry when we entered the city, and then we startled the horse pulling the carriage, which is how things went wrong."

  Huang Anyuan was nonchalant: "This is also not your fault, if everything had gone smoothly, we revolutionaries would have overthrown the Qing dynasty long ago."

  "Alas, indeed unexpected." Zheng Anling didn't seem to have much reaction to Huang Anyuan's words, but instead sank into thought for a few seconds before saying: "This ammunition will be handed over to you now!"

  "Oh?" Huang Anyuan thought of the current insufficient military strength in the city, and immediately invited: "Now that the uprising is imminent in the city, and Commander Chen will also come over, later Huang will definitely ask for credit from the Zheng brothers!"

  But Zheng Anling shook his head and said, "No, I must leave the city immediately to report back to my family's leader!"

  Before Huang An-yuan could say anything else, Zheng An-ling led his men to throw down the ammunition and hurriedly headed towards the city gate, apparently eager to rush back to the third camp. Huang An-yuan understood this, after all, the time of the incident was suddenly advanced by one day, now the city has already started moving, and Li Ji-min outside the city is also better to know the news as soon as possible.

  Huang Anyuan ordered his brothers to dismount and hold their guns at the ready, keeping watch in all directions.

  The ordinary people on the streets near the South City Gate had already dispersed, and the previous gun battle between Zheng Anling and others with the patrol camp had frightened those ordinary people. When Huang Anyuan's dozens of riders came like a flood, those common people would have guessed that something was wrong even if they were foolish. In this era, being injured or killed by stray bullets from chaotic soldiers has no place to reason. Those who could return home had already returned to their respective homes, and those who couldn't temporarily return also hid in wine shops and didn't dare to come out, so the vast street was empty except for Huang Anyuan and others.

  The people near the South Campus had previously only seen dozens of cavalry come out and vaguely guessed what had happened, but now seeing a large group of new army soldiers swarming out of the barracks, they were even more frightened. Some said that the bandits had attacked the city, some said that the two battalions of new troops who arrived outside the city yesterday had mutinied, some said that there was someone making trouble inside the city, and some said that the patrol battalion had rebelled, but most people guessed that Fuzhou would follow Wuhan tonight.

  As for the panic of these ordinary people, Chen Jingyun didn't have any mind to comfort them. Now is not a good time to calm down the people! The key now is to get the ammunition, take down the arsenal, and control Fuzhou City. After that, there will be plenty of time to calm down the people.

  The new army that had just come out of the South Campus was divided into three routes. Xiao Qibin led one group to Yuanshan, Lin Wenying led another group to the Town Command and the Governor's Mansion, while Chen Jingyun personally took the second battalion to the South City Gate to obtain ammunition before attacking the arsenal.

  However, halfway through, he called Lin Chengkun over: "You take two rows to control the Qing Bank and the Treasury"

  Lin Chengkun was also a clever person and immediately understood Chen Jingyun's meaning: "Don't worry, Commander, I will definitely protect the silver inside!"

  "This matter is of great importance, you must be cautious!" Seizing the Qing Bank and the Provincial Treasury was a planned event. Controlling the silver in the Qing Bank and the Provincial Treasury would enable the government to operate and expand its military in the future. Lin Wenyin and Xiao Qibin were also aware of the importance of these two places, but they had too few troops under their command, and most of them were not regular infantry. They were barely enough to occupy Yuanshan and attack the Governor's Mansion, let alone divide their forces to other places. So, Chen Jingyun was the only one who could control these two places.

  After Lin Chengkun left, Chen Jingyun sent his personal soldiers with more than ten people to hurry home, in order to protect the safety of his family.

  Chen Jingyun led the second battalion to advance at a small run, and the people on the street had already hidden. The marching troops did not encounter any obstacles until they arrived at Huang Anyuan's location, when the sky was about to darken.

  Seeing Chen Jingyun personally leading a large team to arrive, Huang Anyuan looked extremely excited, his face flushed with red: "Report to the commander, Anyuan is lucky not to be disgraced, all 35,000 rounds of ammunition received are here, not one is missing!"

  "Good! Tonight I'll lead the uprising, and you, Huang Anyuan, will be the first to achieve merit." Chen Jingyun was unstinting in his praise.

  After obtaining this batch of bullets, Chen Jingyun finally had confidence and with this batch of bullets, he had the feasibility to confront the thousands of soldiers from the Patrol Battalion and the Eight Banners.

  After distributing a large batch of bullets, Chen Jingyun sent people to deliver 2,000 rounds each to Xiao Qibin and Lin Wenying's troops. Then Chen Jingyun immediately ordered the march towards Ping Mountain Arsenal.

  The guards of the Ping Shan Arsenal were a company under Cheng Jinkui, with nearly two hundred men, all equipped with Hanyang-made quick-firing rifles. Upon arrival at the arsenal, Chen Jingyun first let a few familiar people from his own unit and the patrol battalion go forward to shout slogans, trying to persuade them to surrender, but there was no response inside, instead, a string of bullets was fired, almost hitting Li Lianyang who was shouting slogans in front.

  Li Lianyang, who had returned, showed a fierce expression: "Commander, next time I'll personally lead the charge, and I don't believe these opium addicts can withstand my hundreds of Han men!"

  As for Li Lianyang's abilities, Chen Jingyun was still clear about them. Although he spoke fiercely and coarsely, when it came to doing things, he was extremely meticulous. However, he still pressed down on him, signaling him to calm down a bit.

  He immediately turned around and said to the officers behind him: "What are your opinions!"

  Among the crowd behind him, there were four team officers and Ma Cheng. In addition, there was Coach Feng Qin and many military assistants from the command center. Some of them followed Chen Jingyun with sincerity, while others were coerced into coming. Regardless of what they thought in their hearts, since they had boarded this ship, they couldn't get off now.

  After a whispered conversation among the officers, Feng Qin spoke up first: "This arsenal is heavily fortified and there are many patrol camps within the time limit. There's no other way to break through this place except by force!"

  His seemingly unremarkable words were actually well-received by many of the officers.

  Chen Jingyun himself had no good way out, this Ping Mountain Arsenal was fully equipped with various defensive fortifications, it was a fortress. Inside, there were enough food and ammunition stored. For the insurgent army without heavy artillery, taking down this place would have to be exchanged for casualties, there was no other way.

  "Then you come up with a plan!" Even if it's a strong attack, there should be a way to plan for it.

  Soon, Feng Qin and his staff came up with a specific action plan, Chen Jingyun thought it was feasible after listening to it, and immediately ordered the start of the attack.

  As the sky had completely darkened at this time, countless torches were lit on the armory, and the second camp was also holding countless torches, so that the surroundings of the armory were no different from daylight.

  As order after order was issued, the vanguard of the Second Regiment's Li Lianyang unit and the right-wing Chen Weihua unit began to disperse their formation, forming two fists on both sides that enveloped the armory.

  As the troops slowly approached, the sound of gunfire also started to rise. As Li Lianyang and Chen Weihua's troops got closer and closer to the arsenal, the sound of gunfire became more and more intense.

  Figures in the distance flickered as countless bullets streaked across the night sky, tracer rounds bursting like fireworks in the darkness.

  Half a moment later, through the telescope, Li Lianyang's troops were seen to be suppressed. Chen Jingyun's expression remained unchanged as he said: "Fei Tai, your troops will attack according to plan immediately!"

  "Yes!" Lin Fei Tai received the order and immediately led the third row of the rear team to charge forward.

  At this time, Chen Jingyun had already dispatched most of his troops and only had a platoon under Zhuang Dafu's command, the bodyguard squadron, and Huang Anyuan's cavalry left.

  As Lin Fei Tai came forward to reinforce, the numerical superiority of the insurgent army was brought into play, and the situation began to move in a direction favorable to the insurgent army. As countless bullets flew through the night sky, soldiers from both sides fell down from time to time, and cries of pain and wailing also rang out. Some soldiers in the insurgent army could not bear such a cruel scene, some were frightened, and some ran away!

  However, before these fleeing soldiers could retreat a few more steps, they were shot and killed by the mid-to-low-level military officers who were directing the battle. Chen Jingyun's personal bodyguards were also holding guns behind them, aiming at those who might appear to be fleeing soldiers. Only then was the small wave of fleeing soldiers suppressed, and subsequently, under the leadership of all levels of officers, they continued to advance forward.

  Compared to the huge casualties of the rebel army, the soldiers in the arsenal's patrol camp were much better off. They had solid defensive fortifications guarding them, but even so, when casualties appeared among the patrol camp soldiers, the wails and moans echoed around repeatedly, and the spirits of those patrol camp soldiers who had been fighting for half a day were gradually collapsing.

  The officers of the garrison troops were apparently not as determined as those of the insurgent army, and did not dare to kill deserters on a large scale. But this kind of thing only needs a beginning. When the beginning is not stopped, the subsequent development will be what everyone expects.

  An hour later, when the first patrolman saw a comrade next to him with his skull shattered by a bullet, brain matter and blood splattered all over him, he could no longer hold back, threw away the gun in his hand, turned around and ran. When the officer of the patrol battalion hesitated whether to kill this deserter, several soldiers of the patrol battalion had already followed suit and fled.

  This has caused a chain reaction, not only have there been successive desertions of soldiers, but the remaining soldiers are also unstable, after all, no one knows when their comrades will run away.

  The artillery depot outside was still focusing on the battlefield, and the firepower of the soldiers in front of the patrol camp had weakened, and the eyebrows that had been frowned all along also relaxed.

  As expected, Li Lianyang in front also discovered the opportunity and immediately ordered a charge, quickly occupying several strongpoints.

  "Commander, it's now!" Feng Qin stepped forward and said.

  Chen Jingyun did not hesitate and immediately ordered a platoon of Zhuang Dafu's reserve team and the Imperial Guard to be deployed onto the battlefield!

  With the addition of Zhuang Dafu's column and his personal bodyguards, the insurgents, who had been supported by the Xiang Army, quickly launched several charges. Faced with the repeated charges of the insurgents, the Patrol Battalion, which had held out for over an hour, finally collapsed, and in less than a moment, some fled, while others died!

  "Congratulations, Commander, on your victory!" As soon as the battle was won, Feng Qin immediately congratulated Chen Jingyun, and the other military officers around him also chimed in: "Congratulations, Commander!"