Chapter 5, Heroic!

Governor of Sichuan Zhao Erfeng

You are the new army brothers who have suppressed the rebels, aren't you?" The gatekeeper, a soldier from the Sichuan army, smiled warmly, yet his words carried an undertone that was somewhat off-putting. He said, "Hehe, you have greatly boosted the morale of our imperial army. I heard that someone has offered 10,000 dollars to recruit rebels from all corners of the land to encircle you.

Zhao Erfeng hurriedly helped Yang Qiu, who was about to kneel. Upon seeing him stand up, he noticed that Yang was exceptionally tall, and although young, he exuded an air of heroism. Especially with the bandage wrapped around his arm, Zhao looked at him with concern a few times before praising, "Well, truly worthy of being a brave man who dares to venture into the tiger's den and single-handedly capture the bandit leader. Don't you all agree?"

Under the seat of Lord Zhang, Xiao Anguo from the Eighth Brigade of the Hubei Army pays his respects to the Governor. Upon seeing Zhao Erfeng personally leading the crowd to welcome him, Xiao Anguo couldn't help but frown slightly and quickly stepped forward to bow to the other party

Upon hearing this statement, Yang Qiu immediately felt a sense of foreboding, wishing he could find a place to hide at once. Not to mention the dozens of local gentry and hundreds of soldiers present, the crowd of common people surrounding him alone made his scalp tingle with anxiety. If this were to get out, wouldn't it be akin to throwing himself directly into the fire?

Old Hu, I send you four words: go, your, mother, and! In the car, Yang the Great Hero, with his butt raised high in the air to "recover from his injuries," raised his middle finger at Old Hu, instantly provoking a burst of laughter from those around.

As for the way everyone looked at him, it was simply ignored. In his previous life, he had often engaged in absurd acts of running naked in the military camp, so after a few days of lamentation, he returned to normal. At this moment, he was wide-eyed, observing his surroundings like a curious child. Since the previous Yang Qiu had never been to Bashu, upon waking up, he found himself either in the mountains or in villages, which made him feel a sense of novelty everywhere as he experienced the late Qing Dynasty's western metropolis for the first time

Look at our brother Yang's backside, it is much whiter and more tender than that of Little Peach Red. The posture is also good, just a glance makes me feel quite restless inside

Yes, it is.

Yang Qiu, styled Chenhua, has met with the Governor-General

Hehe, you have arrived well, you have arrived well indeed, I have been waiting for you for quite some time

Laughter echoed far away with the sound of the whip

Zhao Erfeng's praise elicited a flurry of flattery, with several pedantic old scholars directly extolling Yang Qiu as the living embodiment of Huo Biaoqi, who trampled the Qilian Mountains, and the spirit of the Yang Family Generals! The unfortunate time-traveling party felt no pride in being heroes; instead, they felt as if needles were piercing them from all sides, wishing they could immediately draw their handguns to let this old man experience the power of a .45 caliber.

The Democratic Party ... ... '' Yang Qiu smacked his lips, feeling a bit bitter; let's take a look for now and discuss it later

Hmph, these treacherous ministers and thieves! Bring them all and throw them into the prison. Wait until I submit a memorial to the court before making a decision. After the soldiers of the Sichuan Governor's Office rushed in and took away Du Laoliu and the others, Zhao Erfeng squinted his eyes and asked again: Is that young hero who single-handedly captured the bandit leader, as mentioned by Anguo, present?

Haha

Since it is a gift from the Governor, Chenhua, you should accept the Governor's kind intentions

This is a complete disaster, the Democratic Party has long gone! Old man, if you want to establish your authority in Chengdu, why pick on me? With such a troublesome reward, it would be better to erect a chastity memorial for me!

"Lord, I am unsure whether An Guo is a rebel faction, but they obstructed my path and killed my soldiers. Therefore, I captured them and brought them to you for your judgment." Xiao An Guo was not a fool; he did not mention Du Lao Liu's claim of being a party member, but merely recounted the incident of them robbing the convoy.

Yang Qiulian, who was immersed in chaos, later witnessed Zhao Erfeng deliberately opening the ammunition box in public, showcasing the arrival of one thousand new guns. Zhao, full of pride, vowed to eradicate the rebellious factions and restore peace to Sichuan. All of this information was later conveyed to him by Bingwen.

Yang Qiu in the car has turned dark in the face; it has only been a few days. First, he was almost taken out by a machine gun, then he was bombarded in a sensitive area, and most infuriatingly, his clean and fair bottom, which he had maintained for over twenty years, has been completely exposed

Amidst the throng of nearly a hundred armed soldiers, a group of well-dressed local gentry surrounded a small old man, clad in a "beastly" robe, with two white mustaches and a smiling face, as he emerged.

The convoy finally arrived at the Sichuan Governor's Office under the hateful and uneasy gazes of the people in Chengdu. Before Yang Qiu could jump out of the car, he saw a large group of people suddenly rush out from the office of the governor, startling him into reaching for the pistol in his pocket. However, upon seeing who they were, he was left in a daze.

The only consolation is that I survived the calamity and managed to obtain 5,000 dollars. A man feels secure when he has money at his side. Besides the 5,000 dollars, the greatest gain was two Mauser pistols and some ammunition that I confiscated from Du Laoliu and one of his trusted subordinates, which kept Yang Qiule, who has a passion for antique firearms, awake for two days.

"No need to rush, no need to rush." Zhao Erfeng interrupted Xiao Anguo, glancing at Du Laoliu and others behind the convoy, and knowingly asked, "I heard that you encountered rebels in Guang'an, and some soldiers were killed. Is this true?"

Compared to the moment when cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou have begun to Westernize and exhibit a sense of modernity, Chengdu, located in the west, still retains its original appearance. As one walks through, the exquisite traditional architecture opens one's eyes, while also subtly lamenting that industrialization has indeed destroyed a considerable amount of national essence.

Of course, this is merely a thought. Assassinating the esteemed Governor of Sichuan in a public place, not to mention the possibility of escaping from the encirclement of so many soldiers, would be impossible; the Hubei New Army would not spare oneself, unless one were to immediately join the Democratic Party

Yang Qiu almost fell to the ground; he had no idea what this old man was thinking. This was an opportunity to establish authority!

Xiao Anguo did not expect Zhao Erfeng to have such intentions, secretly blaming himself for speaking out of turn. However, at this moment, with the knife at his throat, he could only brace himself and, under Yang Qiu's mournful gaze, pushed him out.

Hmph

Completed

"Come here, take a look." Zhao Erfeng waved his hand to interrupt the praises from all around, and immediately someone brought over several large coins wrapped in red paper. This was the first time Yang Qiu had seen the currency of this era since his reincarnation, and he quickly looked to Xiao Anguo for guidance.

This could cost lives; if the old man truly goes all out, given the current Qing government that uses even a handful of reeds as a warship, it is likely that within ten days, Yang Qiu's unprecedented reputation for 'meritorious service in killing enemies' will spread throughout the land.

Seeing Zhao Erfeng with a beaming smile, casually greeting Xiao Anguo as if they were old friends, even Yang Qiu began to doubt whether this old man was truly as ruthless and cold-blooded as later accounts described. However, thinking of the impending bloodshed in Chengdu, there was an overwhelming impulse to draw a gun and eliminate this man.

Turning to look in the direction of the sound, I saw a figure in a short blue robe blending into the crowd, which quickly vanished after a few flashes.

Hehe. Upon seeing Yang Qiushou receive the reward money, Zhao Erfeng seemed quite pleased and laughed, saying: "Rest assured and accept it. I will write to Lord Zhang on your behalf, and moreover, I will also report to the Emperor and the court, informing them of your great achievement in capturing the rebel party alive. A talent like you should not be wasted among ordinary soldiers."

After learning from previous lessons, Xiao Anguo no longer dared to be careless and sent scouts ahead along the way. Perhaps the complete annihilation of Du Laoliu had frightened the party's armed forces, so they did not encounter any major troubles along the journey. However, it was not until they saw the mountain gate of Chengdu appear in the distance that everyone truly relaxed and began to talk about Yang Qiu's rear end again

So unfortunate

The convoy attracted a lot of attention, most of which was directed towards Du Laoliu and others who were tied together at the back of the convoy. In the end, Xiao Anguo accepted the suggestions of Yang Qiu and Ma Kui, deciding to hand over these bandits to Zhao Erfeng for handling, thus avoiding trouble for the Hubei New Army.

Seeing Yang Qiu, who usually treats him like a younger brother, being mocked by others, even his best friend Bingwen covered his mouth. Fortunately, after checking, the blow dart was found to be non-toxic, and after a few days of care, he should be fine.

Moreover, this governor will also announce to the world, urging all people to learn from Chenhua. Anyone who captures a rebel will be personally welcomed by this governor, and for each person captured, a reward of three hundred dollars will be granted

Brother Yang, your appearance is much more elegant than that of the little peach blossom from the Ten Thousand Flower Pavilion, isn't it everyone

He felt as if his portrait was placed on a large black plate, surrounded by countless burly men with various strange tattoos, pointing and gesturing. Below the portrait, a line of bright red characters was engraved, boldly stating, "Yang Qiu, a lackey of the Qing Dynasty, a reward of 10,000 dollars for the one who brings his head!"

Governor, this is ... ...

At this moment, the only figure capable of commanding so many soldiers and gathering gentry in Sichuan, apart from the Railway Protection Committee, is this seemingly frail yet truly ruthless person, known for his brutality and commonly referred to as "Butcher Zhao," the Governor of Sichuan, Zhao Erfeng.

As the convoy began to enter the city, the worrying disturbances finally did not occur; however, the words of a Sichuan soldier at the city gate once again heightened everyone's tension

"What nonsense!" Yang Qiu angrily jumped off the carriage and kicked this babbling fellow away, saying, even if all the chaos from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks were to come, I still couldn't bear it with just the entirety of Sichuan.

Yang Qiuqi trembled all over, his right hand unconsciously reaching into his bosom, preparing to shoot the old man's back. He had already decided to betray him immediately, but before he could take any further action, a faint cold snort washed over him like ice water on a scorching summer day, bringing him to a state of complete calm.

I truly cannot go on! Betrayal, it must be immediate betrayal!

Targeted!