Chapter 1, The Defeated Soldiers of Town 9 in the South Seas

The commander of the left squad of the 33rd Battalion, He Sui, walked in the ranks, his heart filled with grief and indignation

The soldiers lit torches while gazing at the photograph. For them, Sun Yat-sen was merely a legendary idol printed on the first page of those pamphlets, while Zhao Sheng was the person they truly admired and respected. They listened to the newcomer, dressed in Western attire, being affectionately addressed as "Elder Brother." At that moment, when they were scattered and directionless, they immediately regarded this newcomer as a pillar of support.

However, failure is still failure. In Zhenjiang, there are still some forces from the Ninth Town, and we can only regroup there before planning a major offensive. Currently, in the ranks, officers cannot find soldiers, and soldiers cannot find officers. Only he, relying on his past reputation, has managed to gather around two companies of scattered troops, maintaining formation as they advance towards Zhenjiang

He Sui put away the gun: "It was a misunderstanding... However, we have lost so miserably now, disappointing Brother Bo's expectations from back then... Now, what do you suggest we do, sir?"

He Sui's gaze was fierce: "How do you know that? But today is not September 17th, it is September 1st. If you do not explain your background, I will kill you." He was indeed filled with frustration.

Yuchen choked for a moment, swallowed his saliva, and smiled, saying: "Well then, let us discuss our next plan. Since we have risen up in revolution, we can no longer wear the tiger skin of the Qing Dynasty's 9th Division. I think we should call ourselves the Jiangsu Revolutionary Army of China! I will take the lead for now, and after this period, we can leave the position open for the worthy... We cannot go to Zhenjiang! There, we have neither reinforcements nor supplies, and we can only collapse on our own. I will take the lead for now, and after this period, we can leave the position open for the worthy... We cannot go to Zhenjiang! There, we have neither reinforcements nor supplies, and we can only collapse on our own. I believe our goal is Shanghai!"

Yuchen finally realized, looking at the symbols on the soldiers' chests and then at the weapons in their hands. He confirmed that these people were not filming a movie; no Chinese film director could possibly find such realistic props. Familiar with history, he immediately reacted: "You are from the 9th Regiment of the Nanyang? The uprising has failed? Is today September 17th of the third year of Xuantong?"

Yuchen's mind was racing as he opened the suitcase in his hand and took out the picture frame: "This is a small photo of me and Mr. Sun Yat-sen taken in San Francisco before our departure. Additionally, I also met Brother Boxian in Hong Kong, who informed me that the brothers of the 9th Town are the backbone of the revolution. However, Guqing is truly not a person suited for great undertakings; not only is he indecisive, but he also harbors illusions about the Qing court. The purpose of this trip is to bring the 9th Town under the control of our revolutionary comrades... Furthermore, in Hong Kong, I met Brother Boxian again, who reiterated that the brothers of the 9th Town are the backbone of the revolution, but Guqing is indeed not a person suited for great undertakings; he is indecisive and still harbors illusions about the Qing court. The purpose of this trip is to bring the 9th Town under the control of our revolutionary comrades... As for the letters and seals, when the ship arrived in Shanghai, the Qing officials were conducting strict searches, so I secretly threw them into the sea."

He looked around, and several hundred scattered soldiers who had just suffered defeat were gazing at him with eager eyes. It was not that they were too easily deceived, but rather that these soldiers, accustomed to following orders, suddenly found themselves without hope after such a painful defeat. Now, a Mr. Sun Zhongshan and a representative sent by Zhao Boxin had come to find them, and such expectations of him were only natural.

The history of this parallel world has experienced a slight divergence here, as the first uprising in Nanjing was moved forward from November 8 to October 23 (for the convenience of readers, all dates will henceforth be calculated using the Gregorian calendar)

These defeated soldiers immediately surrounded him as if they had found their mother, putting down their guns. He Sui was still skeptical and pointed his handgun at Yu Chen, asking: "What evidence do you have? What did Brother Bo tell you?"

Mauser Model 1888 rifle? An antique

Yuchen still had the presence of mind to distinguish the model of the rifle blocking his chest, but he had temporarily lost his normal logical thinking ability. His reaction to suddenly finding himself in this desolate wilderness in front of the car could be considered quite restrained.

He Hsui waved his hand, and several soldiers with rifles surrounded him in the middle

Yuchen truly did not know what had happened. When he regained consciousness, he found himself standing dazedly on a small hillock, holding a car key. Below the slope, a group of people was intently observing him from the road in the darkness. He momentarily set aside the question of what had transpired and ran down the hill with his suitcase, attempting to dial a number on his phone, only to discover that there was no signal at all. When he finally came to his senses amidst the chaos, he found several fierce-looking, short but sturdy soldiers gesturing with their rifles at his chest. He momentarily set aside the question of what had transpired and ran down the hill with his suitcase, attempting to dial a number on his phone, only to discover that there was no signal at all. When he finally came to his senses amidst the chaos, he found several fierce-looking, short but sturdy soldiers gesturing with their rifles at his chest.

Yuchen looked at him and said, "Are you willing to follow my command?" He Sui still smiled bitterly and replied, "Now that we are in this situation, we truly do not wish to go to Xu Guqing. We would rather lead a good man’s horse than serve a scoundrel. Moreover, you were sent by Brother Bo, so what more is there to discuss? You say east, we will look east; you say west, we will run west.

More than 200 soldiers were reorganized into two brigades, with He Sui serving as the commander of one brigade and Yu Chen concurrently serving as the commander of the second brigade. This small group regained the appearance of a regular army. The combat formation marched in a vigilant manner towards Zhenjiang. Along the way, scattered soldiers noticed the disciplined formation and voluntarily gathered around. Those willing to join our Chinese Jiangsu Revolutionary Army were incorporated into the two brigades, while those unwilling laid down their weapons and dispersed. By the time dawn arrived in Zhenjiang, this group had expanded to over 400 people, with each brigade consisting of three companies, fully equipped with firearms, although the ammunition was still insufficient, averaging less than three rounds per gun.

With this call, Yuchen's title as the Commander of the Jiangsu Revolutionary Army of China is officially established

Yuchen nodded slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the weary faces of the soldiers: "Since everyone trusts me, I shall not be overly formal. After all, we are all here to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore the lands of the Han people. I am not afraid to be the first to stand at the forefront of this storm! The current situation in the country is quite favorable; Huang Xing and Huang Keqiang have already arrived in Hankou, engaged in a bloody battle with the Qing's Beiyang Army! Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangxi have all successively been restored..." The current situation in the country is quite favorable; Huang Xing and Huang Keqiang have already arrived in Hankou, engaged in a bloody battle with the Qing's Beiyang Army! Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangxi have all successively been restored...

Another parallel world, this world has significant similarities to the history of our real world, yet it is not entirely the same

After a brief commotion, He Sui and Tu Shu approached with wry smiles to report: "I am currently the highest-ranking officer here; the others are merely figures of authority. The other officers, including Ma, have already fled. We have 207 personnel here, with 140 rifles and about 200 rounds of ammunition"

Suddenly, the soldiers under his command widened their eyes, watching a ball of blue light flash past on the small hill to the left, accompanied by a tremendous roar

Yuchen looked around and smiled, saying: "Brother, it turns out that when I was in Hong Kong, I had already discussed this issue with Brother Boxian. Brother Songting (Lin Shuqing) is indeed our revolutionary comrade. The 35th Brigade is stationed in Zhenjiang, and the 36th Brigade is in Jiangyin. We are confident about the recovery of Zhenjiang. However, all the military supplies of our 9th Brigade are in Nanjing. Even if we capture Zhenjiang, we will still be unable to deal with Nanjing, which does not help the recovery downstream or respond to the large-scale actions in Wuchang. Capturing Shanghai would change the entire situation. Shanghai has funds, and the Gaochang Temple Manufacturing Bureau has munitions. Even if we capture Zhenjiang, we will still be unable to deal with Nanjing, which does not help the recovery downstream or respond to the large-scale actions in Wuchang. Capturing Shanghai would change the entire situation. Shanghai has funds, and the Gaochang Temple Manufacturing Bureau has munitions. Moreover, Shanghai is a mix of Chinese and foreigners, and capturing Shanghai would have the greatest impact on the Manchu court! Brother Boxian repeatedly urged me to draw elite troops from the 9th Brigade to assist the revolutionary comrades in Shanghai. Currently, our comrades from the Tongmenghui are arranging everything in Shanghai. After we capture Shanghai, our troops will return to Nanjing, and the situation downstream will be determined! Everyone will be the greatest contributors to the recovery!"

Now that the Maling Pass Uprising has been moved up to October 23, Shanghai must still not have been restored

The indecisiveness and vacillation of Xu Guqing in command, along with the cessation of ammunition supplies by the Governor-General of the Two Rivers, and the brutal obstinacy of Zhang Xun, the Governor of Jiangnan, may all be objective reasons for the failure of this uprising. However, the true reason lies in the fact that such a significant force as the Ninth Division lacked a genuinely insightful leader

Yuchen is currently engaged in political mobilization there, and He Sui quietly remarked below: "These brothers all know that Mr. Yu should discuss the next steps."

The artillery of the Jiang Defense Army? He Huan immediately dismissed his thoughts, as there was neither a flash of fire nor any earth being blown apart. The artillery of the Jiang Defense Army in the city could not reach this place at all

Then I saw on wwwhetushu.com a young man dressed neatly in Western attire, carrying a large suitcase, tumbling down the hillside. In his hand, he held a small object gleaming with a metallic sheen, pressed to his ear as he shouted loudly, "Hello, hello, hello."

He drew his pistol and pointed it at the soldier blocking his way: "Who exactly are you? Are you a spy for the Jiang Defense Army?"

Yuchen let out a sigh of relief, his mind racing with thoughts about what he should do in this era. Looking at the several hundred scattered soldiers of Town 9, he suddenly gritted his teeth, a surge of blood rushing to his chest. In that future era, he had lived in obscurity, drifting along with the tide, gaining nothing but a host of bad habits, and ultimately losing the girlfriend he loved the most. Now, with this opportunity at hand, why couldn't he achieve something great, leveraging his familiarity with history? In that future era, he had lived in obscurity, drifting along with the tide, gaining nothing but a host of bad habits, and ultimately losing the girlfriend he loved the most. Now, with this opportunity at hand, why couldn't he achieve something great, leveraging his familiarity with history?

One must never relinquish that which can be firmly grasped in one's own hands

The soldiers below expressed dissent: "Lin Biao's Zhenjiang has already been restored, and he is a loyal comrade of our Tongmenghui. Why can't we go to Zhenjiang to take refuge and then make further plans?" Indeed, among the soldiers of the 9th Brigade, many were scholars who had joined the army, and their speech was very coherent.

Brother Bo? Mr. Zhongshan?

Yuchen asked in a low voice: "How many people do you have right now? How many can you still contact? How many weapons do you have? How many bullets? Are there any officers left?"

Shanghai should be restored on November 3, and there will be no formidable and stubborn figures like Zhang Xun in control. Chen Qimei, accompanied by a group of actors and young ruffians, was able to attack the Arsenal and successfully restore Shanghai. While it cannot be ruled out that he was a local strongman and that the Restoration Society cooperated, why couldn't I, with several hundred rigorously trained new troops, take down the Arsenal myself? With public sentiment so volatile now, it would be a situation where one call would summon hundreds. Although it cannot be ruled out that he was a local strongman and that the Restoration Society cooperated, why couldn't I, with several hundred rigorously trained new troops, take down the Arsenal myself? With public sentiment so volatile now, it would be a situation where one call would summon hundreds. The Shanghai Arsenal, the Customs, and the Bank of the Qing Dynasty all have ample funds and arms; this strength can expand as needed.

Yuchen was truly bewildered; this sudden shift in time and space had unexpectedly fallen upon him. Could it be that the heavens thought his heartbreak was not tragic enough? However, after drifting through society for so many years, he had honed the skill of speaking appropriately to people and even to ghosts. Considering the significant influence of the 9th Town Alliance on them, and the remarkable prestige of the Alliance's key figure, Zhao Sheng, in this place, he immediately began to formulate a plan.

The soldiers were all filled with a sense of longing as they listened to Yu Chen, and He Sui also appeared eager to try. He was originally the youngest and most promising squad leader in the 9th Brigade, later recommended for further studies, and returned to serve as a team officer. Young people are particularly enthusiastic about revolution, eager to achieve great deeds. The failure of the Muling Pass Uprising had already left him feeling frustrated. When young people are full of vigor, they are fine, but when they encounter setbacks, they tend to see a bleak future. The failure of the Muling Pass Uprising had already left him feeling frustrated. When young people are full of vigor, they are fine, but when they encounter setbacks, they tend to see a bleak future. Suddenly, encountering someone who fell from the sky to show them a bright path ignited a surge of blood in their chests. They raised their arms and shouted: "Support Commander Yu, let’s fight to Shanghai!"

On the evening of September 17, 1911 (November 8 in the Gregorian calendar), the 9th Town of Nanyang launched the Moulins Pass Uprising, which ultimately ended in failure, as the main force was dispersed by Zhang Xun's Jiang Defense Army. It was not until more than a month later that the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai Allied Forces were reformed, successfully recapturing Nanjing.

On a road from Yuhuatai in Nanjing to Zhenjiang, scattered soldiers in retreat can be seen. Some of these soldiers still have braids, while others have already shaved their heads. They are dressed in the uniforms of the new army, and the insignia on their chests indicates that they are troops from the Ninth Division of the Nanyang Army. They march towards Zhenjiang in disarray, without any formation. In the distance, Nanjing is already engulfed in flames.

On the evening of October 23, 1911, in this parallel world

The Ninth Town Alliance has such a deep foundation, as our predecessor Zhao Sheng connected with so many like-minded individuals here. It is known as a pillar of Jiangnan, just like the Eighth Town in Hubei. The Eighth Town successfully restored its glory in Wuchang, while the uprising at Muling Pass of the Ninth Town ended in a tragic defeat

Yuchen raised both hands: "Don't misunderstand! Don't misunderstand! My brother is Yuchen, who just returned from the United States. Mr. Sun Zhongshan and Brother Boxian sent me back to contact you! Who would have thought that you would launch early!"