Chapter 6, The Distorted Protection of Railways

Forget it, let's eat! Yang Qiu was the first to raise his chopsticks and forcefully jabbed them into the chicken's rear. Since whether one shrinks back or extends forward leads to the same outcome, worrying is futile. It is better to wait until we actually reach the bridge to discuss it.

Although everyone had their own concerns, they still enjoyed this rewarding drink immensely after suppressing their feelings. During the meal, Xiao Anguo humbly sought advice on military matters, and even Bingwen asked a few questions. Although Yang Qiu did not answer every question with complete openness, he did explain quite a bit about the ways of training soldiers. When asked how he learned, he simply mentioned that he had read some foreign military strategy books while studying in Shanghai, and the three did not suspect anything.

Yang Qiu is an open-minded person, and with such a significant secret as the data machine, he is not worried at all about his livelihood. If necessary, he could simply travel across the ocean to the United States, watching the tides of the times roll in like a foolish old man, and it would be no problem at all.

Brother... it's all the fault of this foul mouth of mine

Since secretly planning the establishment of the Sichuan Railway Protection Society with Loren and being elected as its president, he realized that in order to protect the Hanchuan Railway, he must connect with the outstanding talents across Sichuan. Therefore, he reached out to the Tongmenghui and invited Wu Yuzhang and Wang Tianjie. However, the current voices made him realize that his initial idea of a peaceful railway protection seemed to be rapidly evolving into a military disaster

Indeed, President, at this moment you must make a decision! Zhao Erfeng has clearly come prepared.

Come, drink

"Brother Qin is overthinking it," Wang Tianjie said, noticing that everyone seemed a bit downcast. He immediately clasped his hands together and continued, "To be honest with you all, I can assure you that a considerable number of like-minded partners have already been embedded within the Hubei New Army, and every move they make will certainly be under our control"

Ah, let's not mention this matter; no one intended it. Instead, let's think about what to do next. I see that Brother Yang this time... is truly in danger of being left on the fire.

After secretly letting out a sigh, Pu Dianjun clenched his fists, thinking that if Sichuan were truly to experience a military coup, Zhao Erfeng would likely bear some responsibility. If he had not contacted the Hubei New Army upon taking office and mobilized so many arms into Sichuan, how could the situation have escalated to this point

Within the dark room, the atmosphere was charged with fervor. The members of the Tongmenghui, led by Wang Tianjie and Wu Yuzhang, were all shouting for blood, displaying a posture as if they were determined to launch an immediate attack. Before long, the unfortunate Yang Qiu was dragged out for a public denunciation, and the crowd was filled with such intense hatred that they seemed eager to devour his flesh and grind his bones to vent their pent-up anger

Yes, I think we might as well rebel.

"You are right. As long as Brother Huzi stays in the army, can we not protect a single person with our hundreds of guns?" Ma Kui slammed the table and immediately applauded.

"Brother Pu, you are being too polite." Qin Zaigeng cupped his hands and was about to leave. Wang Tianjie, seeing that his expression was still not good, and worried that he might miss the time for the uprising, could only grab him and ask, "Brother Qin, this is a critical moment; what do you intend to do by leaving like this?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Wang Tianjie and Wu Yuzhang immediately exchanged glances, both recognizing the dissatisfaction in each other's hearts. This was because the few words spoken had truly struck at the greatest vulnerability in the current deployment of the Alliance, which was the lack of a genuine armed force of their own

This Zhao Erfeng is simply rallying those royalists to demonstrate against us, and this matter must not be taken lightly; we must immediately find a way to suppress his arrogance!" At the Eight Immortals table, Wang Tianjie, dressed in Japanese student attire yet smoking a cigarette like a gang member, was furious about the events of the day. As one of the leaders of the Tongmenghui in Sichuan, he was very annoyed by the fact that at a time when they were on the verge of action, their opponent had received substantial support.

Pu Dianjun admired Mr. Sun Wen and was aware that the heroes of the Tongmenghui were prepared to sacrifice their lives for their ideals at any moment. However, it was still the people of Sichuan who suffered and endured the hardships of war. If, in the end, it was due to his momentary lapse in judgment that brought the artillery fire into Sichuan, he would truly become a sinner of Bashu

How about I go and contact them to explain a bit?" Bingwen glanced at the three people and stammered a sentence. In fact, even if he did not clarify, the three of them understood that the connection between this baby-faced individual and those people was not a secret at all in the logistics camp

"Is this true!" Qin Zaigeng grasped Wang Tianjie firmly and said, "As fellow members, why was I not aware of this?"

By the way, since you and the adult have become brothers, why do you still refer to him as 'adult'?" Ma Kui, noticing the atmosphere had relaxed somewhat, immediately joked, "A penalty drink is a must, a penalty drink.

"Eat, don't just stand there." Yang Qiu wiped the corner of his mouth and casually tossed the chicken bone onto the ground. He smiled at Xiao Anguo and said, "My lord, do you remember what was said three days ago? Since you and I are already brothers, why should we dwell on a trivial unintentional mistake? Moreover, even if it were intentional, what is there to be angry about? When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it! As long as I remain in your army, hehe, do they really dare to infiltrate the ranks to take my head?"

It is not advisable, as the imperial army has just acquired a thousand long rifles, significantly increasing their power. Moreover, if we push them too hard, they will surely report to the court and request the mobilization of a large army to enter Sichuan. What shall we do then

At the same time that Yang Qiu and his three companions were enjoying a feast, a loud sound of someone angrily slapping the table echoed through Yuefu Street

Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately said: "I won't hide it from Brother Qin, I only learned about this matter yesterday, which shows that Mr. Song has already made thorough preparations."

Xiao Anguo raised his wine cup and took a big gulp, swearing, "Brother, rest assured, as long as I, Xiao Anguo, am in the army for a day, I will protect you for a day, even if it means going against the party..." After glancing at Bingwen, Xiao Anguo paused for a moment and then said emphatically, "Don't blame me for being rude."

President Qin

Seeing that Zhao Erfeng posed no issues, discussing it once more would not be a problem; if you wish to instigate a rebellion, that is also acceptable. Just as the thoughts of those in the dark room were in disarray, a robust man dressed in a short blue gown suddenly entered. His fierce gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Pu Dianzun's face, asking: "I only want to know, after losing the Guang'an outpost, what do we have to defend against the tens of thousands of new troops from Hubei"

Wang Tianjie did not expect Qin Zaigeng to ask such a question, but he certainly could not say, "The Brotherhood is merely a group of local ruffians; how could they know such secrets?" Although he had joined the Brotherhood earlier than Qin Zaigeng, Mr. Huang Xing had instructed him beforehand to follow Qin Zaigeng's orders while in Sichuan

"Brother Qin, please listen to the news of your foolish younger brother." Upon hearing these words, Pu Dianjun realized that the situation was beyond redemption and could only say, "If the negotiations... do not succeed, I shall certainly await your orders before your horse."

Seeing Yang Qiu eating with grease dripping from his mouth, the three of them thought he was venting his anger. Especially Xiao Anguo, who had let slip a secret, felt even more guilty. Not to mention that Yang Qiu had saved his life, just the thought of having previously considered him as a trusted confidant filled him with immense regret

Haha ... ... Alright, then I shall punish myself with three cups as an apology to my elder brother

As soon as this statement was made, the members of the Alliance Society excitedly clenched their fists, while some individuals from the Railway Protection Society let out a deep sigh, shaking their heads with a hint of helplessness

Yes, yes, yes, Brother Yang, you must drink three cups

At the end, Yang Qiu originally intended to distribute the three hundred taels, but Xiao Anguo and the other two insisted on receiving their rewards as well, so they could only be kept by him for the time being

After a brief pause, Wang Tianjie emphasized that he had already taken control of the new army and stated again: "Moreover, Mr. Song Jiaoren has also decided that if Sichuan rises in rebellion, places such as Wuchang, Changsha, Nanchang, and Guangzhou will certainly follow suit. At that time, the Manchu Qing will not have the capacity to send troops into Sichuan."

If everyone was perhaps not worried before, now if there is indeed a need to take action, the nearest new army from Hubei will certainly rush into Sichuan overnight. Without Du Laoliu intercepting them midway, even if the comrades from the surrounding villages and the Brotherhood learn of the news, they will not have time to block them. Therefore, finding a substitute for Du Laoliu has become a source of great concern for him. Moreover, since Zhao Erfeng was able to obtain a thousand rifles from the new army in Hubei, it indicates that the Qing court has already made plans. Without a foolproof strategy, given the strength of the Ge Lao Society in Sichuan, it is likely that they can only strike a rock with an egg.

There is another more important matter, which is that he also encountered Yang Qiu in the crowd that afternoon. That fellow gave him a very dangerous feeling, and the fact that just an ordinary new army soldier could seize the flag and take command raises concerns about the combat effectiveness of the Hubei New Army

Yes, it is that tall fellow! I saw him today, and in my opinion, we should immediately contact our comrades in the Hubei New Army to prevent any prolonged uncertainties.

I think they... would not be unreasonable either. Bingwen, not understanding the meaning behind Xiao Anguo's glance, recalled the life-saving grace from Yang Qiu's earlier push and secretly vowed not to let anyone harm him easily

The members of the Sichuan Tongmenghui, filled with fervor, made Pu Dianjun, who was slightly plump in the corner, let out a sigh from the depths of his heart. The shouts of killing and fighting in the room made his heart tighten, and he couldn't help but have the thought that things were somewhat going off track.

Brother Yang, the gentleman did not mean any harm; please do not take it to heart

In my opinion, it would be better to launch an attack immediately before the guns are in the soldiers' hands

Good wine, good meat, good dishes

So it turns out to be Qin Dazhang. Pu Dianjun quickly stood up to greet him. Although Qin Zaigeng, who walked in, was the same age as him, he was the leader of tens of thousands of brothers in Bashu. Even the Tongmenghui treated him with great respect. His subordinate, the Anji Society, was at that moment the largest armed force of the Tongmenghui in Sichuan.

Then I can rest assured Qin Zaigeng, who is naturally open-minded and not suspicious, nodded and said: "I, Qin, have some matters to attend to. If you all come to a decision, just send someone to Su Wharf with a single call, and my tens of thousands of brothers, along with a thousand or so guns from Anji, will definitely join in the righteous cause"

Snap

... ...

The entire table was filled, with three hundred dollars sealed in red paper placed in the center, yet the four people sitting around the table found it hard to swallow.

After Qin Zaigeng nodded to everyone as a form of greeting, he hurriedly approached Pu Dianzun and asked, "Brother Pu, although Du Laoliu is somewhat of a rogue, he is currently imprisoned in jail. What do you think we should do about this?"

Hmph. Qin Zaigen let out a cold snort, his face as grim as water, and said sternly: "Those who kill my brother cannot be allowed to live freely and happily!"

The party had just fallen silent when disputes arose again within the Railway Protection Society, further unsettling Pu Dianjun. At this moment, he truly realized that the situation had spiraled out of control. Therefore, he cleared his throat to interrupt everyone, and after a moment of contemplation, he gritted his teeth and said: "The only course of action now is for me to meet with the governor once more. If... it seems there is no other option left!"

Wang Tianjie picked up the gun merely for show, and upon seeing everyone stirred up with anger, he felt secretly pleased. However, he unexpectedly noticed that Pu Dianjun's expression was displeased, and he was quite dissatisfied with this pretentious fellow. He deliberately asked, "Mr. Pu, would you care to say something?" Little did he expect that Wang Tianjie would suddenly shift the focus onto him. Pu Dianjun thought to himself that this was not good; at this moment, not only the members of the Alliance Society but even those from the Road Protection Society were looking at him.

"A thousand rifles, we do not know how many comrades they intend to kill, we must not allow that old dog Zhao Erfeng to succeed."

This time he is truly anxious. Although Du Laoliu is not influential within the Ge Lao Society and has faced considerable criticism for his reckless behavior in Guang'an over the past few months, the more than one hundred rifles and that Hotchkiss machine gun under his command are crucial for controlling the key route from Guang'an to Chengdu. Now that they have been completely taken away, it means that if any incident occurs, the Hubei New Army can advance unimpeded.

Furthermore, that person named Yang Qiu, who has killed my fellow patriots and insulted my revolution, must be reported immediately to Guangzhou to send someone to eliminate him. Otherwise, if he is utilized by the Qing court for propaganda, it will undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the momentum of my revolution

"There is no point in saying so much." Wang Tianjie said fiercely as he picked up the rifle from the corner, "I will go and take him down right now"