Chapter 7, The Longest Night (Part 4)

As he stepped down from the carriage, Shi Liangcai, the chairman of the Times Newspaper and also the chairman of the Shenbao, lowered his head and emerged from inside, colliding directly with Chen Qimei. Upon seeing Chen Qimei, he raised the newspaper in his hand and loudly asked, "Ying Shi, the extra edition announcing the establishment of the Shanghai Military Government has been released, haven't you figured out who the forces are yet?" Chen Qimei retorted loudly, "If I knew, I would be a bastard! Why are you publishing these extras? Don't you think their position is unstable enough?"

The two Li's exchanged silent gestures, and with the situation already as it was, what more was there to say? They simply wished to leave. Yu Chen then waved over He Sui: "Zhuo Ran, select capable comrades and assign two squads of guards to each of the two Mr. Li. Shanghai has just been liberated, and there are still many remnants of the Qing dynasty; we must ensure the safety of both Mr. Li! If anything goes wrong with them, I will hold you accountable."

The brother studied military affairs in the United States, and Mr. Sun Yat-sen held him in high regard. He specifically sent the brother to oversee all operations downstream. When the brother arrived in Nanjing, he learned that the 9th Division, which we had originally relied on the most, had already failed. At this moment, there could be no hesitation; if Zhang Xun's Jiangfang Battalion were to be redeployed to Shanghai, the situation in the southeast would be unimaginable. The brother immediately gathered the thousands of demoralized soldiers from the 9th Division and reorganized them into the Chinese Soviet Shanghai Revolutionary Army. Upon arriving in Shanghai, due to the urgent nature of the revolutionary cause, he launched an immediate offensive. The people's discontent with the Qing dynasty was so profound that the brother's bold gamble surprisingly succeeded.

Er Li promised to fully support Yu Chen in forming a division in Shanghai, and when advancing westward to Nanjing, Shanghai would serve as the main base, taking care of all supplies. At this point, everyone was quite pleased. Yu Chen immediately appointed Er Li to their positions with the newly issued military decree, instructing them to promptly issue announcements to reassure the populace, and requested the raising of 3 million yuan in military funds within three days

Yuchen did not pay attention to their expressions and said to himself: "You two are revolutionary pioneers, and I greatly admire you. To speak frankly, I will not be the governor of Shanghai for long. After organizing the troops, I will follow Mr. Sun Yat-sen's instructions and lead the troops to Nanjing. I will maintain order here for a few days, but in the future, I will still need you esteemed pioneers to oversee everything. After all, I am not a local of Shanghai! I have no foundation here. Moreover, I am willing to lead the troops. For these first few days, I kindly ask for your assistance, esteemed seniors."

Looking at Shi Liangcai and the bookish youth, Chen Qimei felt no desire to go to the Xilou. He turned back to his residence. In the carriage, he supported his head, thinking resentfully: "Which family's little brat is this!"

Li Ping's mind raced as he analyzed how much truth there was in what Yu Chen had said. He fundamentally did not believe that Mr. Sun Yat-sen would send Yu Chen to oversee everything downstream. He knew quite a few comrades from the Tongmenghui, and for such a large situation downstream, Mr. Sun would not send a young novice with no foundation in the country to take charge. How many people and matters would this involve? Without decades of experience and extensive connections, is this possible? He would rather believe that this young man was an officer from the New Army who, after the failure of the 9th Brigade, came to Shanghai to try his luck and happened to run into him. However, he also believed that he could not hold the position of Governor of Shanghai for long. Shanghai, a city where Chinese and foreigners intermingle and which has international influence, has countless forces at play within it. How many factions need to be managed to hold this governorship? He, a person with no foundation in Shanghai, would find it impossible to stabilize the position of Governor of Shanghai, a notion that any reasonably sane person would agree with.

This "good intention" was something Er Li knew he could not refuse, so he could only manage a wry smile as he left the manufacturing bureau, surrounded by dozens of book guards. Yu Chen stood at the entrance, watching them depart. He glanced at the throng of people in front of him, but was blocked by a line of guards at the door, with those outside calling out and jumping. He wearily sighed inwardly; taking on the highest authority in this city of several million people meant there were indeed too many matters to attend to.

He quickly analyzed the interests and relationships involved. Why not get closer to this young man first? Once he leaves, we can immediately fill the void in Shanghai. After all, this young man currently holds real power and key positions. The fervor of the city's restoration will also elevate his reputation to its peak. It would be better to cooperate with him. When he departs, Shanghai will still belong to our Restoration Society.

The two Li exchanged bitter smiles, acknowledging that public sentiment against the Qing dynasty certainly exists. You can easily conquer these places, but how much work have we done in the front lines! However, the situation has already been set in motion; he does not have thousands of soldiers at his disposal, but he still has about a thousand regular troops from the original 9th Division. Moreover, having already claimed a position of authority, once tomorrow's major newspapers publicize his announcement, where will there be any room for our own efforts?

When Yu Chen personally escorted the two Lis out of the main gate, a multitude of various figures had already gathered at the entrance. The Gaochang Temple was bustling like a marketplace. Many representatives of gentry and merchants were carrying banners and setting off firecrackers, eager to catch a glimpse of the new governor of Shanghai. Yu Chen paid no attention to the commotion outside. He saluted the two Lis and said, "Thank you both for supporting me, my seniors! Shanghai is a hub of both domestic and international relations, and civil affairs work is of utmost importance. The stability of public sentiment and the prosperity of the market are crucial. I rely entirely on your great talents, esteemed seniors. The military expenses are tied to the revival of our great cause, and I kindly ask for your assistance in this matter. I express my gratitude here!"

Shi Liangcai adjusted his glasses, and it seemed his mood was not bad: "As long as the Qing Dynasty falls, I will be happy. Ying Shi, you need not be anxious; this matter is not yet settled! I will go find Mr. Zhang Jizhi right away; he must have his own views on the current situation. This is big news!" Saying this, he hurriedly left.

The discussions continued until after 4 a.m., at which point Yuchen and the others finalized the details of their cooperation. Li Pingshu was appointed as the Minister of Finance of the Shanghai Military Government, while Li Xiehe was appointed as the Minister of Civil Affairs. When Yuchen left Shanghai, he left the position of Governor of the Shanghai Military Government to be taken over by Li Xiehe.

Yuchen's nonsense comes easily to his lips

At this moment, Yuchen was engaged in a heartfelt conversation with the two Lis.

Chen Qimei wore a face of anger, mixed with a touch of helplessness. In the dead of night today, he first rushed to the entrance of the police headquarters in Nanshi, accompanied by a group of his younger brothers from the Moon Chopper Gang, intending to storm inside. However, they were met with gunfire. The citizens mistook them for remnants of the Qing dynasty and began throwing bricks at them. The younger brothers of the Moon Chopper Gang immediately scattered like birds and beasts. On the way, they encountered Liu Fubiao, who was leading dozens of local ruffians, claiming to be from the Fuziying, and headed towards the Shanghai Customs area. Again, the citizens mistook them for remnants of the Qing dynasty and hurled bricks at them. The younger brothers of the Moon Chopper Gang once more scattered. On the road, they met Liu Fubiao, who was dragging along dozens of local ruffians, and they proceeded towards the Shanghai Customs area. They soon discovered that the area was already occupied. Liu Fubiao, showing off his courage, brandished his pistol and charged in, only to be met with a barrage of gunfire, resulting in his swift demise. The Fuziying was immediately declared disbanded.

Later, I recalled that the Zhabei Police Headquarters had its own forces, and I could gather around one hundred brothers from the Huzhou gang, along with some comrades from the Tongmenghui who were arriving one after another. I hurried back to Zhabei, only to find that the Zhabei Police Headquarters had also been occupied. The security team of about two hundred men that I had painstakingly brought over, led by Chen Hanqin, had all been incorporated. Even the nearby Mint and Copper Coin Bureau had been completely taken over. Looking at the muzzles of the soldiers guarding the entrance and recalling the lessons from the previous two encounters, Chen Qimei had no choice but to run to the Xilou Club at the Times Building, which was a place where some prominent figures from Shanghai gathered to discuss matters. He wanted to find someone to discuss a plan.