Chapter 004, What Was Heard in the Flower Alley

The "Lin Tongdai" mentioned by the three staff officers refers to Lin Zhaomin, the commander of the 40th Battalion. He and Chen Jingyun were classmates during their military studies, but although they were classmates, their interactions were limited, and they could at most be considered acquaintances.

He did not dare to question or oppose Sun Daoren's words. At this critical moment, to disregard military orders clearly indicated: I am a revolutionary. Once Sun Daoren completely doubts him, the worst outcome would be to lose his military position.

Regardless of whether others understand these, Chen Jingyun does not understand them

Sigh, had I known I would be traversing time, I would have brought along the history of the Republic of China, along with some technological materials—ideally several hundred gigabytes of data. Then, whether it was to engage in revolution against feudalism or to strengthen the nation and enrich the people, it would have been a piece of cake! But now, apart from a limited amount of historical memory, Chen Jingyun knows very little in detail. When it comes to the history of the Republic of China, Chen Jingyun only knows about Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek; other figures include Huang Xing, and there’s also Song something, who was reportedly assassinated by Yuan Shikai, as well as Zhang Zuolin's inept son Zhang Xueliang, and, hmm, there’s also Cai E's mistress, Xiao Fengxian. Even with these individuals, Chen Jingyun only knows their names; if it comes to discussing what Chiang Kai-shek was doing during the Xinhai year or how much money Sun Yat-sen brought back from abroad, he would be at a loss.

I am deeply grateful for your kindness! At the moment, Chen Jingyun could only speak thoughtlessly, not fully understanding the situation.

It is of no consequence, you are not an outsider. Sun Daoren's words unexpectedly carried warmth

Zihua, I heard that you fell ill a few days ago. I have also been quite busy lately; otherwise, I would have visited your residence! After closing the door, while Chen Jingyun was still in a daze, Sun Daoren began to engage him in casual conversation.

Would an ordinary modern person understand all the fundamental disciplines? Would they know the various alloys of special steel and the proportion formulas of various special materials?

I just know how to tease you, my brother! This Hu Guigao, with his chubby appearance, is neither a returnee from studying abroad nor a product of those new-style military academies. He hails from a patrol camp, and his military training skills are quite mediocre. However, he has a strong family background; he comes from a prominent family in Suzhou and is rumored to be related to Li Hongzhang. With this background and Hu Guigao's willingness to spend money, he managed to rise through the ranks to the position of commander of the 39th regiment. Although he has attained this official position, he is always self-aware. He completely delegates military training matters to his subordinates and, apart from showing off and embezzling public funds, he never takes charge of any affairs. Therefore, Chen Jingyun was somewhat surprised to hear that he was going out to inspect.

Upon entering the command office, personnel from the command office stepped forward to greet: "Greetings, Commander Chen and Commander Hu!" The speaker was a third-class staff officer, who, while leading Chen Jingyun and Hu Guigao inside, added: "Commander Lin has already arrived ahead of us!"

Furthermore, please come over earlier tomorrow so we can casually have lunch together!" As he spoke, Sun Daoren seemed to be at a loss for words, and after taking another sip of tea, he continued without waiting for Chen Jingyun to respond: "In fact, to put it plainly, my wife would like to meet you!"

Students returning from studying abroad were generally only granted the rank of junior officer (approximately equivalent to Second Lieutenant), with only the outstanding ones being awarded the rank of deputy military officer (approximately equivalent to First Lieutenant). However, after the Qing court suffered defeats in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Boxer Rebellion, it resolutely decided to establish a new army. At the same time, there was an extreme shortage of new military talent, which led to most of the few students who had studied in Japan being promoted beyond the usual standards upon their return. Years later, among these Japanese-educated officers, six have risen to the rank of commander (Division Commander), at least twenty to the rank of deputy commander (Brigade Commander), and many more have attained the rank of regiment commander. It should be noted that these division commanders, brigade commanders, and regiment commanders would likely be considered insignificant in the context of the Republic of China. However, at the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were only fourteen garrisons and eighteen mixed brigades, totaling merely forty-four brigades. The movements of a single garrison and brigade are sufficient to influence the national situation.

You are still young and in good health, unlike this old man. A slight cold can keep me bedridden for several days!" Sun Daoren said while raising his hand to signal Chen Jingyun to have some tea: "This tea was sent from my hometown, it is spring tea that we grew ourselves. Tomorrow, come to my residence and take a few pounds with you.

Chen Jingyun thought for a moment and said: "Last night, there was a rebellion in Wuchang, and now the revolutionaries have taken control of Wuchang City!"

After listening, Chen Jingyun was even more confused. According to his original memory, although he was trusted by Sun Daoren, he had not reached the level of being a confidant. How could Sun Daoren say such things to him now

On both sides of Sun Daoren are the Chief of Staff and the Commander of the 19th Division, Wang Qi, and the Commander of the 20th Division, Xu Chongzhi, as well as Lin Zhaomin. Apart from these four individuals, there are also Chen Jingyun and Hu Guigao. Thus, aside from the Commander of the 37th Division, Qin Yinian, stationed in Changle, all senior officers of the 10th Brigade are accounted for.

Chen Jingyun, perplexed, could only follow his lead and replied: "I appreciate your concern, my lord. As a man of martial prowess, this slight chill is of no consequence; a good sweat will see it through!"

When Chen Jingyun and Hu Guigao entered the conference hall, there were already several people seated inside. After a brief glance and a comparison with his memory, Chen Jingyun recognized the identities of these individuals

After such arrangements and discussions, it ultimately came down to issuing strict orders to all departments to refrain from causing disturbances. Everyone harbored their own concerns; Chen Jingyun was contemplating how to connect with the revolutionaries and was also thinking about how to incite a rebellion.

After everyone was seated, Sun Daoren began to speak: "I believe you are all aware of the situation in Wuchang. Although we are far from Wuchang here in Fujian, we must not let our guard down. In addition to being vigilant against the possibility of revolutionary troops from Wuchang infiltrating Fujian, all departments must also be on high alert against local revolutionary factions. We cannot allow Fuzhou to follow in Wuchang's footsteps"

It can be said that the warlord conflicts during the initial years of the late Qing and early Republic were essentially wars among these officer students. Unfortunately, most of them were fleeting figures, disappearing from the scene within a few years.

"Indeed, indeed, the matter at hand is of utmost importance!" As Hu Guigao and Chen Jingyun walked into the commander's office, Hu Guigao asked Chen Jingyun, "By the way, do you know what this is about? In the past, the commander would not summon us all together without a reason!"

At such a critical juncture, Sun Daoren's decision to transfer Xu Chongzhi clearly indicates his intention to guard against him. Xu Chongzhi's expression darkened slightly, and after taking a deep breath, he said: "I understand, I will set off for Zhaowu as soon as I return!"

Seeing that everyone had a mournful expression, Sun Daoren lost interest in continuing to speak and instructed everyone to return. However, just as Chen Jingyun was about to leave, he was retained by Sun Daoren.

Naturally seated at the head of the table was Sun Daoren, the commander of the Tenth Town. Although he was dressed in a new military uniform, his advanced age and the braid he wore gave him a distinctly old military aura, setting him apart from the other officers present.

As for military technology, Chen Jingyun understands the concept of joint operations between infantry and armored units, is aware of what air superiority entails, and is even more cognizant of the importance of naval power. However, at this stage, expecting him to produce tanks, aircraft, or aircraft carriers is akin to dreaming. These three types of weaponry represent the pinnacle of human societal resources and technology; without the corresponding foundational industry support, it is simply unfeasible. To elaborate, for instance, regarding steel, do not assume that merely producing molten iron will suffice to manufacture guns and artillery. Ordinary steel cannot be used for such purposes; without qualified special steel, various alloys, and other essential materials, it is impossible to create these three types of weaponry. Even if one were to replicate the design blueprints for tanks and aircraft, it would still be unattainable.

Seeing Chen Jingyun's curiosity, Hu Guigao continued: "It's still those young fellows down below, all caught up in making money. A whole squad of officers and their men sold off more than half of an entire squad's worth of guns. Damn it, I wouldn't even dare to sell that many guns myself, yet they actually did it. This is what drove me to make a special trip here!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people below naturally echoed in agreement, while Chen Jingyun was secretly pondering: This statement, I fear, among the six individuals present, aside from Hu Guigao and Sun Daoren, the others are either revolutionaries or have connections to the revolutionaries.

"Zihua, recall the Third Battalion from Funing; I am not at ease with only one infantry battalion in the provincial capital!" As he spoke, Sun Daoren stroked his beard and continued, "Chief of Staff Wang, please send a message to Qin Yinian to also dispatch a battalion back to the provincial capital from Changle County!"

"How could this be! This tea was sent all the way from your hometown, how could I dare to take away someone else's enjoyment!" Although he said this, he still took a careful sip. Chen Jingyun, though not well-versed in the art of tea, found the tea fragrant and delicious.

Chen Jingyun could only feel speechless at Hu Guigao's reaction

Upon hearing this, everyone was momentarily taken aback. Shaowu Prefecture is located in the northwest of Fujian, where the 40th Brigade's 2nd Battalion is stationed. It is not a favorable place, and without the presence of the 1st Brigade, this exercise seems rather absurd. If it were a genuine exercise, it should at least take place in Yanping Prefecture, which connects to Fuzhou in the south and Jianing in the north, making it a strategic military location. The 1st Battalion of the 38th Brigade and the 1st Battalion of the 40th Brigade are stationed there. If we include the 40th Brigade from Shaowu and the 2nd Battalion of the *Tu* *Shu*, then the exercise would appear more legitimate. If it were a genuine exercise, it should at least take place in Yanping Prefecture, which connects to Fuzhou in the south and Jianing in the north, making it a strategic military location. The 1st Battalion of the 38th Brigade and the 1st Battalion of the 40th Brigade are stationed there. If we include the 40th Brigade from Shaowu and the 2nd Battalion of the *Tu* *Shu*, then the exercise would appear more legitimate.

What others think remains unknown; in any case, each of them has a grave expression.

It is indeed peculiar to mention that, in the military circles of the late Qing Dynasty today, students who studied in Japan represent a very unique group, particularly those from the Army Officer School, who wield significant influence. For instance, in the Tenth Brigade: the Chief of Staff and Commander of the Nineteenth Division, Wang Qi, is a graduate of the second cohort of the Army Officer School, and he was a classmate of Wang Yu-jia, the commander of the Fourth Brigade; the commander of the Twentieth Division, Xu Chongzhi, is from the third cohort, and he was a contemporary of Jiang Baili, Cai E, Okamura Ningji, Toihara Kenji, Itagaki Seishiro, and Ando Toshiyoshi; the commander of the Thirty-eighth Regiment, Chen Jingyun, is from the fifth cohort, and similarly, the commander of the Fortieth Regiment, Lin Zhaomin, is also from the fifth cohort. Within the Tenth Brigade, among the two divisions and four regiments, officers from the Army Officer School account for two division commanders and two regiment commanders! Additionally, several mid-level officers, including the company commander Xiao Qibin from the artillery battalion, also have backgrounds as students in Japan.

Just as Chen Jingyun was lost in thought, Sun Daoren continued to speak in clichés, reiterating the need to stabilize the troops below. Chen Jingyun was not particularly interested in listening, but when Sun Daoren mentioned his name, he straightened up and began to listen attentively.

The military technology of a country relies on the overall technological level of the nation, which includes the further development of all foundational industries such as chemical engineering and steel production

After this arrangement, Sun Daoren looked at the people present and then fixed his gaze on Xu Chongzhi. After a moment, he said: "The military exercise originally scheduled for half a month later should be postponed! A single standard exercise will suffice. Chongzhi, you will have to work a bit harder and make a trip to Shaowu Prefecture!"

Revolutionary Party! Hu Guigao, upon hearing this, was momentarily taken aback and then laughed heartily, saying: "These revolutionaries are always looking for trouble, whether there is a reason or not; aren't they just asking for trouble themselves"

This is not a case of the upper beam being crooked while the lower beam is also misaligned! Naturally, Chen Jingyun would not say such a thing out loud. Instead, he let out a couple of hearty laughs and said, "Let's go in; the commanding officer is still waiting for us!"