Chapter 5: An Introduction to Ni Duan

Ni Duan laughed heartily twice and said, "The two most popular words these days are revolution; even if one wants to suppress them, it is impossible to do so"

Wu Shaoting vaguely guessed that this so-called "fàng guān" most likely means "mài guān". The position of a sentry officer is an old military rank, equivalent to that of a company commander in the new army, but the number of soldiers under their command is only a few dozen less than that of a company commander in the new army

Although Lord Chen also found it rather absurd, there has indeed been no precedent for a modern officer leading a traditional unit. However, this matter is beyond his control; after all, it was unfortunate for Wu Shaoting to arrive at a time when there were no vacancies.

Ni Duan had not left yet. After looking at the sky, he invited Wu Shaoting to join him for dinner at the cafeteria

Indeed. Ni nodded.

The two individuals walked into the corridor, at which point the number of people around them gradually diminished

Of course, Wu Shaoting was unaware of this, but he was well aware that in this era, eight out of ten new army members were inclined towards revolution. Moreover, since Ni Duan was also from his hometown, he felt an extra sense of familiarity.

In the past few years, the Qing government maintained a strict grip on public opinion; anyone who mentioned the word "revolution" in public would inevitably be arrested and executed. However, the authority of the Qing government has increasingly weakened, and central authority has become more distant. As this dynamic shifts, the openness of public sentiment has naturally risen.

The fire brigade consists of a total of four battalions, two of which are armed and stationed in the urban area. The Mountain Battalion and another battalion, due to their outdated equipment, have been assigned to be stationed behind the large training ground

Wu Shaoting was taken aback, appearing puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Xu Chongzhi, a leader of the Kuomintang's Guangdong faction, is indeed a significant figure

How wonderful it is to meet a fellow townsman in a different place. This is a good thing. My name is Ni Duan, and I am from Hefei, Anhui. I was transferred to Guangzhou only at the end of last year, and I am currently serving as an instructor in the Third Battalion of the New Army.

Wu Shaoting had a certain fondness for this new army sergeant; at the very least, the other party appeared quite enthusiastic. He smiled slightly and said, "Indeed, I was born in Anhui and later moved to Jiangxi. I came to Guangzhou alone at the age of twelve"

Ni Duan smiled mysteriously and said, "Lord Wu, you may not be aware of the situation in the country since you have just returned from studying abroad. Currently, there is a surging wave of revolutionary fervor across the nation. The common people need not be mentioned, but it is the new army that is most deeply influenced by revolutionary ideas. The Qing court relies on the new army to strengthen national defense, yet it must also be wary of the potential unpredictability of the new army, thus it cannot afford to be complacent.

You should temporarily stay at the dormitory of the fire brigade. In my opinion, there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that you will be assigned to the fire brigade, so it would save you from having to move back and forth in the future, " said Lord Chen

"Then he would willingly comply with the arrangements?" Wu Shaoting asked

Sigh, Lord Wu, although I have wronged you, this matter is not yet settled. Tomorrow, when I submit your file and resume to the governor, perhaps the governor will have other arrangements in mind!

"Oh? Who is this person?" Wu Shaoting asked curiously. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, few people went to study at the Japanese Military Academy, and those who did later became renowned generals known worldwide. It is necessary to inquire about that person's name

"Wherever it may be, as we are both from the same hometown and you are my senior, I hope you will take care of me in the future," Wu Shaoting said politely

Although he knew that the current fire brigade was not entirely a firefighting team of the 21st century, but merely a designation of a military unit, this army was not a conventional force. Its sole responsibility was to maintain security within the town, which naturally included firefighting and disaster relief. To put it simply, the fire brigade belonged to the internal security forces and was not an offensive unit

When they arrived at the cafeteria, it was still relatively early for the fire camp, and there were hardly any officers dining in the entire cafeteria. The two of them got their meals and sat down in the spacious cafeteria, chatting as they ate. However, at this moment, their conversation was not about the revolution; it was merely a casual exchange between fellow townsmen.

Wu Shaoting vaguely sensed that Ni Duan was testing him, much like Hu Hanmin had done aboard the "Buckingham". Revolutionaries have always been very proactive; they will actively seek to win over anyone who can assist the revolution. He thought to himself: It seems that Ni Duan might indeed be a member of the Tongmenghui!

I see. Wu Shaoting nodded slowly. Historically, Xu Chongzhi participated in the Fuzhou Uprising and later returned to Guangdong with Chen Jiongming, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.

"So it is you, Lord Ni. It is a pleasure to meet you." Wu Shaoting said with a smile, bowing respectfully

"What a great person you are, Ni! You, a high achiever, might just become my superior in a few days. I will still have to address you as 'Sir'! Haha!" Ni joked with the librarian.

However, he is well aware that given China's current state, a revolution is imperative, and it would be wise for him to maintain a good relationship with the revolutionaries

Wu Shaoting sighed in frustration, picked up his suitcase, and turned to Lin Zhaoren, saying: "Brother Lin, could you please guide me to the fire brigade dormitory?"

"Fire Brigade? How does Lord Chen know about it?" Wu Shaoting was somewhat surprised. As a distinguished graduate of the German Higher Officer Academy, he was unexpectedly assigned to the Fire Brigade for duty

Ni Duan sighed and said, "In fact, they are deliberately making things difficult for you high-achieving students studying abroad."

At this moment, Ni Duan emerged from behind the counter and said, "Fellow villager, I will take you there. Lord Lin, you may continue with your work."

Before he could speak, Ni Duan beside him expressed his dissatisfaction first, saying: "Old Chen, what are you doing? The fire brigade is a military training unit! Lord Wu is a high-achieving student who returned from Germany; it is only appropriate for him to be assigned to the new army. How can there be a case of overseas officers not being part of the new army?"

Since the fire brigade still belongs to the old military system, officers and soldiers eat separately. Officers have their own mess hall, while soldiers generally queue for communal meals near their barracks. Although Ni Duan does not belong to the fire brigade, as long as he wears the officer's uniform, no one in the mess hall dares to say anything, as it is merely an extra meal.

Wu Shaoting pondered for a moment and suddenly said: "What Master Ni means is that the higher-ups are concerned about us overseas students, fearing that we might spread foreign ideas into the new army?"

The training army is essentially the evolution and adaptation of the Qing Dynasty's Green Standard Army. This military force emerged after Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang established the Xiang Army and Huai Army, utilizing the systems of these armies to train the Green Standard Army. Fifteen years ago, it could still be considered a relatively modern army, but today, fifteen years later, the training army is classified as an old army type

The two individuals exited the army headquarters and directly crossed the main street in front of the headquarters to head towards the large parade ground on the opposite side

Wu Shaoting simply tidied up a room, and the sky gradually darkened

Lin Zhaoren then took his leave and departed

In that moment, the soldier dressed in the new-style military uniform suddenly laughed and said, "You are also from Anhui? Fellow townsman!"

Ni Duan accompanied Wu Shaoting as they walked out of the officer's office. On their way to the gate of the government office, he smiled and advised, "Lord Wu, do not take it to heart. Earlier this year, there was a top student who returned from a military academy in Japan, and he was not much better than you."

I am merely a clerk, responsible only for recording your information. As it is getting late, I will deliver your resume to the governor tomorrow. As for the arrangements, that will be the governor's responsibility.

It is said that Lord Xu took the documents to Fujian the next day, Ni Duan said

Wu Shaoting could not detect any welcoming tone from Chen Daren's words, so he directly asked: "Sir Chen, what arrangements does the yamen have for me?"

"Indeed, your file is here, and it has been kept for four years." He opened the file and verified it against Wu Shaoting's resume according to the procedure, "All set, Lord Wu, welcome back to the country"

Afterwards, Ni Yingdian changed his name to Ni Duan and arrived in Guangzhou to join the New Army's patrol battalion as a training officer. Just two years later, in 1910, when the Guangzhou New Army Uprising broke out, he became the overall commander of the uprising's forces. Unfortunately, he was ambushed and killed by the commander of the Guangzhou Navy during the uprising, which led to the uprising's forces ultimately failing due to a lack of leadership.

Lord Chen did not rush to respond; instead, he first pulled out a document from beneath the counter and, after flipping through it for a while, finally replied: "Look, it is indeed the case. Nowadays, all the official positions in Guangzhou that should be released have been, leaving only the post of a sentry officer in the Fire Brigade's Mountain Character Camp. If all goes as expected, the governor will certainly assign you to this position"

Ni Duan is not the true name of this person; his real name is Ni Yingdian. He was a non-commissioned officer in the Ninth Brigade of the New Army. During the Pingliang-Li uprising, the Ninth Brigade of the New Army was dispatched to suppress it. Ni Yingdian attempted to contact members of the Tongmenghui to plan an uprising within the Ninth Brigade, but unfortunately, he was unable to succeed

His surname is Xu, and his given name is Chongzhi. When he returned to report, he was also assigned to the old army, and he was merely a trainee adjutant, which is even worse than Lord Wu.

At this moment, Lord Chen found Wu Shaoting's file among a pile of old documents, which was covered with a thick layer of dust. He dusted off the file while walking back to the counter.

In that case, how should I handle my accommodation for tonight?" Wu Shaoting asked again

Thanks to Ni Duan's assistance, Wu Shaoting quickly completed some temporary procedures. A minor official from the fire brigade found him an available dormitory and also procured a set of bedding and a mattress.

Wu Shaoting fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and deliberately asked: "Lord Ni, this is the Army Headquarters, do you dare to speak so recklessly about the word 'revolution'?"