Chapter 003, the sudden sound of gunfire

Chen Jingyun continued to tap on the table: "It seems that the world is about to change. Although soldiers emphasize loyalty to the monarch and obedience to orders, one must always prepare a fallback plan! My entire family relies on me to provide for them! Not to mention me, does Cheng Kun not have a family to support behind him?"

Lin Chengkun observed Chen Jingyun's expression and immediately said: "There has indeed been contact. Ever since I took on the role of your adjutant, numerous revolutionaries have approached me, both openly and covertly! However, rest assured, my lord, I have absolutely not joined the revolutionary party"

Engaging in rebellion naturally requires utmost caution! If word gets out, it could cost one their life

Not long after, Ma Cheng came in again and said: "The standard officer, the soldier on guard just had an accidental discharge of his weapon!"

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Hu. I have merely caught a slight cold. After taking some medicine and sweating it out, I will be fine!" As Chen Jingyun spoke, he had already dismounted and proceeded inside. "But Brother Hu, what brings you out of the city for inspections? You haven't been this diligent in the past!"

What if they do not perceive it? Or what if Lin Wenying and Xiao Qibin are not the revolutionary figures they imagine? After this thought crossed Chen Jingyun's mind, he immediately called Lin Chengkun in.

Although Lin Wenying wanted to say something more, she knew that continuing to speak would not change Chen Jingyun's mind, so she chose to remain silent.

Lin Wenying felt somewhat puzzled after hearing this. When did Chen Jingyun start to take an interest in revolutionaries?

Watching the two figures leave, Chen Jingyun fell into deep thought. He believed that his recent actions were so evident that they would surely convey his inclination towards the revolutionary party to either Lin Wenying or Xiao Qibin. As long as this attitude was communicated, those revolutionaries could not remain indifferent. After all, he was the commander of the 38th Brigade, ranking among the top four or five senior officers in the 10th District, and he had the Second Battalion, which he trusted, stationed at the South Parade Ground. If the revolutionaries were to win him over, while he could not guarantee much else, capturing Fuzhou City would be entirely feasible.

When they arrived at the town commander's office, they happened to see several officers just entering. Upon closer inspection and comparison with his memory, he recognized their identities as the commander Hu Guigao and his entourage from the 39th Brigade. Hu Guigao also heard the sound of hooves and turned around. Upon seeing Chen Jingyun and the others, he took a couple of steps forward and said, "Brother Chen, how have you been lately? I just returned from an inspection and heard that you had caught a cold a few days ago. I was just about to visit you!"

"Chengkun, can I trust you?" The first sentence spoken by Chen Jingyun left Lin Chengkun in a daze

Suppressing the tension within, he said in a deep voice: "Captain Ma, go outside and see what is happening!"

The sudden gunfire in the barracks left Chen Jingyun greatly alarmed. Could it be that the news of the Wuchang Uprising has already reached the barracks? Are the soldiers in the barracks preparing to follow the new army's uprising in Wuchang?

After a moment of surprise, Lin Chengkun said: "In terms of public matters, you are my superior, and at the beginning of the year, you were the one who strongly recommended me for the position of this supervisory officer! In terms of private matters, I am your relative; my elder sister-in-law is your sister. Everyone in the Tenth Town regards me as one of your people!"

Lin Wenying took a deep breath and said: "My lord, although I am a cousin of Lin Jiaomin, I have absolutely no connection with that rebel!"

Chen Jingyun said to Xiao Qibin and Lin Wenying: "Gentlemen, I have other matters to attend to, so..."

Chen Jingyun nodded, acknowledging that Lin Chengkun's words were indeed correct. He then asked, "Have you had any contact with revolutionaries in your daily life?"

Well then!" Chen Jingyun said while tapping his fingers on the table, "You should make contact with those revolutionaries!"

Chen Jingyun continued, "Originally, I thought you and Lin Juemin were cousins, and that you might be able to share some anecdotes about him"

Chen Jingyun's actions left Xiao Qibin and Lin Wenying perplexed, and Xiao Qibin even displayed a look of astonishment: "Lord Chen speaks heavily; in urgent matters, we must be strict. We naturally understand this. Brother Lin, don't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present let out a sigh of relief, whether it was Chen Jingyun or those officers who leaned towards the revolutionary party or were outright members of it. The reason was simple: they were not yet prepared for an uprising. If something unexpected were to happen at the last moment, it could very well lead to a complete failure.

Before Lin Wenying could say anything, Chen Jingyun waved his hand and said: "In fact, those revolutionaries are also righteous men. They risked their lives for this country, and such spirit is indeed worthy of admiration"

Especially Lin Wenying, who stared at Chen Jingyun for a long time without speaking. Just then, a duty soldier entered from outside: "My lord, a messenger from the town commander just arrived, saying that the commanding officer requests your presence for a discussion"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere immediately turned cold. While the general public may not know who Lin Juemin is, military officers and officials certainly do. The Guangzhou Uprising in late April of the first half of the year, which was widely known, resulted in the capture and execution of a large number of revolutionaries after its failure, and Lin Juemin was one of them. He was from Fujian and had returned to Fujian to rally many young people to join the Guangzhou Uprising. It was precisely because of his actions that the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Song Shou, became so anxious, leading to a significant restructuring of the Tenth Brigade, including the removal of several senior officers, while many mid- and junior-level officers were also reassigned from their original posts.

Hu Guigao has a stout physique, and coupled with his short stature, he appears quite rotund. His chubby face is a mass of flesh, swaying up and down with each step he takes. In stark contrast to the robust and fresh appearance of his aide and the soldiers behind him, he is a world apart.

This statement left both Xiao Qibin and Lin Wenying astonished. The reason is simple: today's Chen Jingyun is different from the Chen Jingyun they remember. In the past, even if Chen Jingyun did not denounce revolutionaries like Lin Juemin as traitors, he would not have spoken kindly. Never before had he uttered the words "admire" in such a manner.

Lin Chengkun was just about to speak when Chen Jingyun interjected, "I want to hear the truth!"

After this thought crossed his mind, Chen Jingyun scanned the officers present and realized that the other officers were equally astonished. However, he soon came to the realization that all the officers above the rank of squad leader were gathered here in the southern parade ground, and those revolutionaries would certainly not initiate an uprising at this moment

This uprising cannot succeed merely through a few soldiers causing a disturbance; without the leadership of mid- to low-ranking officers, and even the tacit approval of senior officers, the army would not be able to descend into chaos, let alone rebel.

Who made Chen Jingyun the most prominent in the South Parade Ground? Although the artillery battalion, cavalry, engineering battalion, and supply battalion do not have a direct relationship with the 38th Regiment, they are all understrength units with few soldiers, and the ranks of their commanding officers are not high, which naturally undermines their authority in conversation. Furthermore, the South Parade Ground is originally the command center of the 38th Regiment, so when Chen Jingyun issues orders here, they have little room to object. However, both the artillery battalion and the engineering and supply battalions are understrength units with few soldiers, and the ranks of their commanding officers are not high, which naturally undermines their authority in conversation. Moreover, the South Parade Ground is originally the command center of the 38th Regiment, so when Chen Jingyun issues orders here, they have little room to object.

The crowd below naturally echoed their agreement. Even the artillery camp's Xiao Qibin opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately did not. Meanwhile, Lin Wenying from the engineering camp furrowed his brows slightly and remarked, "Isn't it a bit too tense to keep the camp gates tightly closed and prohibit entry and exit? This might lead to even more speculation among the soldiers in the barracks"

Chen Jingyun also wore a smile, and then spoke a few words about the business matters. Naturally, Xiao Qibin and Lin Wenying followed up with compliments to Chen Jingyun. However, a moment later, Chen Jingyun unexpectedly changed the subject: "Brother Lin, as I understand it, you and Lin Juemin are cousins, correct?"

Chen Jingyun personally poured a cup of tea for the two guests, smiling as he said, "Zihua's words earlier were rather reckless; please do not take them to heart."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingyun did not find it strange; given the significant events occurring in Wuchang, it was only natural for Fujian to respond. In fact, this order arrived even later than Chen Jingyun had anticipated

Chen Jingyun lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said: "Regardless of the circumstances, we should first stabilize the situation over the next two to three days. As for the soldiers' morale, it will require the senior officers of each unit to provide more encouragement and reassurance. The Engineering Battalion and the Artillery Battalion have a large number of troops, so I also ask Brothers Xiao and Lin to bear with it a bit more."

Subsequently, he set out with his adjutant Lin Chengkun and three to five personal guards. Given the tense situation, it was safer to bring along a few personal guards. The group rode the warhorses from the cavalry and headed directly towards Huaxiang in Hetu Book City, where the command post of the Tenth Town is located, and where Sun Daoren's residence is also situated

Once again, a strict order was issued for the commanders of each unit to ensure the morale of their troops before Chen Jingyun allowed the officers of each unit to return. However, he retained the engineering battalion commander Lin Wenying and the artillery battalion commander Xiao Qibin.

Do not rush, and avoid drawing the attention of others. First, try to gauge the situation, and it would be best to establish contact with their key figures

Chen Jingyun scoffed inwardly: "It would be strange if that were the case! Who knows, you might have already started plotting a rebellion!" However, this thought could not be voiced. Instead, Chen Jingyun wore a friendly expression: "Brother Lin, please don't misunderstand. I never said you were a revolutionary. I am merely curious about Lin Juemin. After all, he sacrificed his life for the country. Such a person cannot be labeled as a traitor!"

"What is this?" Lin Chengkun, hearing Chen Jingyun say this, exclaimed in astonishment: "My lord, are you perhaps going to...?"

Xiao Qibin said: "Understood, it is only natural that Lord Tongzhi has summoned us for an important matter. We shall take our leave!" As he spoke, he also stood up, and then left together with Lin Wenying.

Lin Wenying chuckled, "Of course, of course, Master Chen is too polite!"

According to the adults' intentions, this Qing Dynasty is likely to be? Lin Chengkun asked tentatively, not waiting for Chen Jingyun to respond, he took a deep breath: "Chengkun understands, I will go find those revolutionaries soon!"

After speaking, he stood up and continued, "Feng Qin, pass down my orders just now!" Feng Qin complied and followed the cavalry commander out. Subsequently, Chen Jingyun scanned the officers present and said, "The current situation is tense; everyone must be more accommodating. If chaos breaks out, the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Fuzhou will suffer!"