Due to the extremely tense situation, Gong Chuntai urgently urged Wei Zongquan to return to Pingxiang immediately to discuss emergency measures.

After Wei Zongquan returned, he immediately held an emergency meeting in a low shed in the Anyuan Coal Mine, and invited Feng Naigu, another leader of the Liuyang Clan. Outside the shed, dozens of disciples of the Hongjiang Society, either guarding from a close distance or watching from a distance, are closely guarding the shed.

The hut was filthy and messy, and the workers slept in the bunks, with black quilts piled up on the beds, and on the unpainted white stubble tables, the workers' black porcelain bowls, iron rice boxes, and wicker hats were placed. The windows and doors were nailed with broken wooden planks, and the cracks between the boards were so dry that they revealed large gaps due to the wind and sun.

Everyone sat on the bed or squatted on the ground, frowning and gloomy faces, although they all knew that the situation was serious, Gong Chuntai, who presided over the meeting, still briefly explained the situation again:

"On October 2, the Mid-Autumn Festival, more than 70 of our brothers were killed and hundreds of brothers were injured, including Li Jinqi, the third road dock officer, who was killed. A few days ago, Li Jinqi's deputy Zhang Zheqing was arrested in Liling, Zhang Zheqing has been active among the workers in Anyuan, and is very influential among the miners. Qing Gouzi heard about it and killed Zhang Zheqing again. In the past few days, Qing Gouzi has been like crazy, arresting people everywhere, killing people, and arresting a lot of our Hongjiang members. ”

Liao Shubao stomped his feet and shouted: "Fight!" Fight! Fight with Qing Dog! Otherwise, sooner or later, they will all capture and kill us. Instead of being killed by them one by one, it is better to fight one now to be enough, and fight two to earn one. ”

Shen Yigu glared at him and reprimanded him: "You know how many brothers we have injured in the battle of the Mid-Autumn Festival, but more than 10 of the dogs have died?" It's not that we don't have guns in our hands. In this way, we will do it with them, and it is not we who will suffer. ”

Everyone stopped talking, and they were all thinking about what to do.

Wei Zongquan saw that everyone was silent, and said in a low voice: "When the uprising will be held, it depends on whether we are fully prepared, and once the time is ripe, the uprising will be held immediately." Wei Zongquan looked at Feng Naigu's gloomy face again, and quietly asked tentatively: "I don't know what Brother Feng means, are you willing to raise the banner of righteousness with our Hongjiang Society?" ”

Feng Naigu is a man in his forties with a purple face, with a large skeleton, lean body, and bare arms protruding from the green tendons like earthworms.

He looked at everyone looking at him with two big eyes, smiled bitterly, and said: "Everyone, I am also a member of the Elders' Association, and the Elders' Association will oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty, this is our purpose, how can we forget it?" Since the death of Brother Ma Fuyi, the brothers have been clamoring to avenge Brother Ma, how can I not be with the brothers! But if I have to do it, I have to find a way to do it, and I have to take responsibility for the lives of thousands of brothers. I think one is that we are all together, there are thousands of workers in Anyuan, and there are more than 100 fast guns, and the people are concentrated, I look at Brother Xiao's, as long as Brother Xiao raises the banner of righteousness, I will respond. The second is that we have to have weapons, and we can't do it with big swords and spears and quick guns to clear dogs. The third is that we are still too weak to have foreign aid......"

Feng Naigu talked a lot about it, which was nothing more than the difficulties of the uprising. However, Gong Ren heard it, this uprising must be led by a rebel army, and no one will take the lead, Feng Naigu will not act rashly.

Gongren asked Xiao Kechang: "Brother Xiao, how are the Anyuan workers preparing?" ”

Xiao Kechang sighed and said: "So far, we have only prepared 15 earthen cannons, more than 100 fast guns, or those of the mine protection team, and another 200 broadswords, spears, and some gunpowder. ”

Wei Zongquan asked: "Can we finish preparing by the end of the lunar calendar, and if we do, how about we launch an uprising?" ”

Xiao Kechang said: "Try your best, I hope we can be almost prepared by the end of the year." When Xiao Kechang said these words, his sentences were very vague and reluctant, without any resolute and straightforward meaning.

Liao Shubao couldn't help it, and said angrily: "At the end of the year, there are still more than three months at the end of the year. Besides, the workers have been working hard for a year, and they will all go home for the New Year at the end of the year, and I am afraid that no one will be found by then. ”

Although Liao Shubao spoke roughly, everyone heard the detail that the workers were going home during the holidays, and they all looked at Xiao Kechang together. Xiao Kechang did not stand up to Liao Shubao softly or hardly: "The gun shoots the first bird, and when I raise the banner, you will all see my jokes, and it will be too late to make me cry." If it weren't for your blind tossing during the Mid-Autumn Festival, we wouldn't have suffered such a big loss, and the loss was so big, when would we be able to recover! ”

The more Liao Shubao listened, the more angry he became, he stood up suddenly, waved his fist at Xiao Kechang, glared at him and shouted: "Xiao Datou, don't just talk about me, I'll kill for a while." What did you say, what did you do? I've been preparing all day, preparing, preparing for almost a year, and I'm not ready yet. People, I can't stand and talk without backache, I am most annoyed by these people who just talk and don't practice. ”

Xiao Kechang snorted and rolled his eyes, obviously unconvinced by Liao Shubao, but he didn't refute it.

Wei Zongquan, Gong Chuntai, Gong Ren and others hurriedly pulled and persuaded Liao Shubao, and Liao Shubao sat on the bed, panting heavily.

Shen Yigu looked at his apprentice, and he was also a little unaccustomed to Xiao Kechang, the big man, and said lukewarmly: "Liao Shubao is at fault, but he is young after all, and he is still quite brave when he fights with Qing Gouzi." Unlike some people, who play tricks, they only know how to preserve their strength, they only know how to stand still and watch other people's jokes. ”

Xiao Kechang was even more unconvinced by Shen Yigu's words, but for the sake of the master's face, he still did not refute it.

Gong Chuntai wanted to ease the atmosphere, so he changed the topic and said to Wei Zongquan: "How are you going to contact this time, can you tell everyone about it?" ”

Wei Zongquan briefly introduced: "When I arrived in Shanghai, I found the Shanghai Alliance, Ning Tiaoyuan in Shanghai, and Li Faqun highly praised our work, and gave me a letter of introduction, asking me to go to Japan to meet Sun Yat-sen. No, before I could go to Japan, Master Gong called me back. ”

Everyone was silent when they heard these words. After a pause, Gong Chuntai glanced at Wei Zongquan and said, "It seems that the alliance will not be able to provide us with firearms and ammunition for a while and a half, and we have to prepare our own firearms and ammunition and funds for the uprising." Do you have any other opinions, just tell us? ”

Gong Ren said: "The uprising is about to be held, I went down to take a look, and the various teams have done a lot of work in terms of propaganda, agitation, and development, but the training is too poor, once the uprising, we are fighting against the regular enemy, I am afraid we will not have the upper hand, so we must carry out everything in accordance with the regular training and drill rules, if we need instructors, I can send instructors." Second, we have to draw up several well-thought-out and feasible plans for the uprising, where to attack first, and then where to attack, and if it doesn't go well, what will we do? Third, as soon as the banner of righteousness is raised, we may be attacked by tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of enemies. If we don't go well, where will we retreat, and these people will not be able to hide, whether they will fight a sports war or a guerrilla war. In addition, if we urge Mr. Nakayama again, once we revolt, when will they revolt, otherwise, our pressure may be too great, and sometimes we may not be able to bear it. ”

Everyone just nodded, and did not say any specific opinions.

Gong Chuntai said: "I think so, please ask the instructor to train the team, and contact the public." As for the formulation of the battle plan, we will discuss it again. Wei Zongquan contacted Mr. Sun Yat-sen again, and the two sides strengthened communication. If you don't have any opinions, how about going back and preparing separately and trying to hold an uprising before the workers' holidays at the end of the year? ”

Feng Naigu looked at Xiao Kechang's face, Xiao Kechang nodded slightly, and Feng Naigu also nodded. In this way, the matter of holding an uprising at the end of the year was decided.

However, what happened later became more and more unfavorable to the Hongjiang Society.

On October 26, the Hongjiang Association took the opportunity of the school holidays to gather more than 1,000 people at the Lijiang Academy in Shangli City, Pingxiang, to hold a meeting to commemorate the victims who died in Mashi on October 2. On the temporary stage, the banner above reads "Mourn the victims of the sacrifice of Mashi" in black and white letters, and the names of the sacrificed people are written in black and white on the stage, and some of the family members of the sacrifice are wrapped in white cloth on their heads, wearing filial piety clothes and crying bitterly on the stage.

The white flags of the memorial service next to it fluttered in the wind, the pieces of paper money seemed to be remembering the deceased relatives, and the weeping family members infected the audience who came to the meeting, and people from sympathy to scolding, from scolding formed a loud denunciation of the same hatred and hatred for the Qing government and raised their arms and shouted in unison.

At the meeting, Wei Zongquan burst into tears, took out bloody clothes, and cried about the cruel atrocities of the Qing army: "Have you seen it, have you seen it, what kind of government is this, what kind of army is this, just use guns and bullets to deal with us bare-handed ordinary people......"

The people present at the meeting became even more enthusiastic and continued to chant the slogan: "We must ask the Qing government for blood debts!" "Blood debts must be paid with blood!" "Avenge the people who died in the granite sacrifice!" "Avenge the people who died in granite!" "He who dies cannot die in vain!"

Halfway through the meeting, the Qing army suddenly surrounded the venue with more than 800 people, and guns were pointed at the unarmed people.

A Qing army officer shouted: "Disband, disband, disband on the orders of the government." ”

The people were not convinced, and there was a fierce conflict with the Qing army at that time.

Some Hongjiang members were arrested by the Qing army.

On October 30, Zhang Zhirui, the magistrate of Pingxiang, received a secret report that Sun Shaoshan, the leader of the Hongjiang Society, and others had gathered in the Pingshili area on the border of Pingxiang and Liuyang to hold a meeting to distribute votes, so he ordered Hu Yinglong, the commander of the patrol battalion in Pingxiang, to lead 500 people to personally investigate it. Sun Shaoshan and others hurriedly withdrew, and the Qing army found 8 business cards of Sun Shaoshan and a list of Hongjiang Societies in the mountain shacks, which were printed with the words: "Hongjiang will open the mountain at the end of the year to sacrifice the flag, reverse the Han dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty", which made the Qing government more vigilant.

On November 6, Wang Wenbo, the county governor of Liling, posted a notice prohibiting party gatherings, disbanding the Hongjiang Association, and hoisting many buckets on the Lujiang Bridge, asking Hongjiang members to write letters of surrender and putting them in buckets, so that villagers could denounce who Hongjiang members were. At night, one hand quietly threw the note in the bucket, and another hand threw the note in the bucket. Then, one backbone of the Hongjiang Society was arrested by the Qing army at home, and another backbone of the Hongjiang Society was arrested by the Qing army while doing work. On the execution ground of Liling County, they were brutally killed by the Qing army.

On November 12, the Qing officials sent two battalions to patrol and defend Yong into Anyuan. Xiao Kechang felt that the situation was extremely urgent, and asked the mine protection team and Hongjiang under his control to be on guard day and night and closely monitor, but he did not dare to act rashly. The patrol battalion saw that Xiao Kechang's mine protection team had more than 100 fast guns, and there were a large number of Hongjiang members among the coal miners, so they did not dare to suppress it for fear of provoking a great change, so the two sides were in a state of stalemate.

On November 15, while the monk Lidemo of Kenghuili Temple was reciting the scriptures, some Qing soldiers with fast guns suddenly rushed in. Some of the warrior monks were close to the Demo monk.

The Qing army pulled the bolt of the gun, the warrior monks raised their broadswords and spears, and the situation was on the verge of breaking out.

Monk Demo calmly finished reciting the last sutra, slowly stood up, held his right hand and said, "Forbearance! Endure! ”

The warrior monks did not move.

The monk Demo led the monks out of the Buddhist gate, and the Qing army occupied the monastery.

On November 29, two battalions of the Qing army patrolled the Anyuan Coal Mine and pointed their guns at the mine guards and workers commuting to and from work. The muzzles of the mine guards were pointed at the two battalions of the patrol bravery, and they glared angrily at them.

Suddenly, Anyuan's chargé d'affaires Lin Zongban led the personal guards to the gate of Anyuan, and his guards forced Xiao Kechang with guns. General Manager Lin said to Xiao Kechang with a smile: "Captain Xiao, we have just received a telegram from Wang Wenbo, the magistrate of Liling County, ordering that I already have a Hongjiang Association in Anyuan, and ask us to stop and check immediately. After our mine research has decided, we will transfer you to investigate the Hongjiang members in the mine, and the mine protection team will be temporarily served by Captain Wang. ”

Xiao Kechang was stunned.

Captain Wang walked out from behind General Lin's office and shouted in a pretending manner: "Listen to the mine protection team, from now on, the mine protection team will be commanded by me." ”

The mine guards were stunned.

General Manager Lin said to Xiao Kechang: "Hand over your weapons and hand them over to Captain Wang." ”

Xiao Kechang hesitated and did not hand over his weapon.

Some Hongjiang members in the mine protection team shouted: "Captain Xiao, you can't hand over weapons, you can't hand over weapons." ”

General Manager Lin turned his head towards the patrol and made a look. The Qing soldiers who patrolled bravely pulled the bolts of their guns one after another and aimed them at Xiao Kechang. Xiao Kechang's side immediately came over more than 30 Hongjiang members, and their guns were pointed at the patrol Yong.

Captain Wang shouted: "Listen to the mine protection team, listen to my orders, if you don't listen to the order, you will be severely punished in the future." Obedient people stood by my side. More than 30 mine guards looked at each other and slowly stood by Captain Wang's side, and the remaining 30 or so looked at each other and gradually stood by Captain Wang's side.

In this way, most of the personnel of the Qing army's patrol and defense team and the mine protection team held Xiao Kechang and more than 30 Hongjiang members at gunpoint.

General Manager Lin smiled and said to Xiao Kechang: "Captain Xiao, if you check Hongjiang, you will have merit, and the captain is still yours." ”

Xiao Kechang looked at it, and if the hard top would only suffer greater losses, he had to hand over the short gun on his body, shook his head, and turned around and walked towards the mine. More than 30 Hongjiang members looked at each other, threw down their spears, and followed Xiao Kechang.

General Manager Lin took out a list from his body and said to Captain Wang: "This is the list of Hongjiang Clubs that you already know." ”

Captain Wang took the list and said to General Manager Lin's office: "As long as you give an order, we will take people immediately." ”

Mr. Lin smiled and nodded.

Anyuan Coal Mine, Pingxiang, Liling, and Liuyang are covered with clouds, and dark clouds are coming.

The Qing army was arresting people everywhere, and from time to time gunshots rang out. Hongjiang members were hiding everywhere, and in the sound of gunfire, one Hongjiang member fell, and another Hongjiang member fell...... The Hongjiang Society is indeed at an important juncture of life and death.

On the evening of December 2, Gong Chuntai held an enlarged meeting of the leaders of the Hongjiang Society in Gaojiatai. Feng Naigu could no longer be contacted due to the blockade of the Qing army, Jiang Shoudan raised the banner uncertainly, and he could not count on it, and whether to revolt at present could only be decided by the Hongjiang Society.

At the beginning of the meeting, Liao Shubao waved his arms and shouted: "Now we have become fish and meat, and Qinggou has become a chopping board and kitchen knife, and we can chop us as much as we want." Instead of dying in a nest, it's better to do the other way around now, and if it does, maybe you can still fight a way out! ”

The dock officials from the first road to the eighth road shouted in unison: "It's the opposite! It's the other way around! "We're all damned people, and sooner or later it's a death to call the clear dog to catch it." It's better to break the net now! "While the Qing army has not been mobilized in large numbers now, if you don't do it now, it will be too late in the future."

Shen Yigu waved his hand at everyone, and the dock officials from all walks of life stopped shouting. Shen Yigu said in his confident and calm and sophisticated voice: "Originally, I didn't advocate an uprising, but now we don't revolt, okay?" Qing Gouzi has put the knife on our necks, and if we don't kill him, he will cut off our heads. We now have more than 100,000 people in the Hongjiang Association, and there are 200,000 people in the Elder Associations in various places. I think I can fight with them. ”

Liao Shubao and the dock officials shouted again: "What the master said is right! "Listen to the master." "What the master says, what the apprentice does."

Xiao Kechang sat silently, without saying a word, his brows furrowed tightly.

Gong Ren asked Xiao Kechang and said: "Brother Xiao, your personnel are the most concentrated, and your weapons are the most sophisticated, you are the main force of our Hongjiang Society, what do you say?" ”

Xiao Kechang smiled bitterly and said, "What do you tell me to say, what can you say, the mine protection team no longer exists, and it is all up to General Manager Lin's office to master." I only have a few dozen guns and broadswords and spears in my hand, compared with the Qing army, it is simply a drop in the bucket, what is the use of having more people! It turned out that we were talking about an uprising at the end of the year, and who knew that the Qing army was forcing us step by step, more and more towards death. The blockade outside is also very strict, guns and ammunition cannot be bought at all, and if we do not move, we will suffer a loss, and we will suffer a big loss. ”

Liao Shubao jumped up again, and shouted anxiously: "How can you say discouraged words, help the enemy to be prestigious, and destroy the morale of your own family." Otherwise, you give me the rest of the guns and let me command, and it would be strange if you didn't kill him and turn his horse on his back! Xiao Kechang snorted and glanced at him dissatisfied: "It's up to you, what kind of ability do you have to be reckless!" When I was roaming the rivers and lakes, you were still wearing open crotch pants. I'm afraid that as soon as you start a war, you won't be able to distinguish between east and west, north and south. ”

Liao Shubao saw Xiao Kechang looking down on him like this, and couldn't help it, and raised his fist to hit Xiao Kechang. And Xiao Kechang didn't hide, squinted his eyes, and greeted him and said, "Fight!" I see you fighting! This is called ability. If you have the ability, why don't you go to the clear dog! ”

Everyone persuaded Liao Shubao again, and Liao Shubao was so anxious that he slapped his thigh and stomped on the ground a few times.

Wei Zongquan glanced at the various dock officials who were excited, and said: "To say that our preparations are indeed a little hasty, there are too few weapons and ammunition, and we have no contact with Feng Naigu and Jiang Shoudan, and we have no contact with the Alliance in Guangdong. Once we revolt, it is indeed not wise to use the flesh and blood of our Hongjiang Society to ram the muzzle of the Qing dog's gun. My personal opinion is that no matter how great the danger may be, no matter how great the difficulty, let us be patient for the time being, intensify our preparations, and as soon as the time is ripe, we will immediately launch an uprising. ”

Xiao Kechang glanced at Wei Zongquan with satisfaction, meaning that he could find a soulmate. Gong Chuntai stroked his black hair and said nothing, but he didn't object, and he could be regarded as supporting Wei Zongquan's opinion.

Gong Ren said: "Originally, it was going to train the troops, but the Qing army suddenly strengthened its vigilance, not to mention gathering together, it was to disperse the votes, and Sun Shaoshan also let them kick the field." So we look very passive, and we have to train passively, and if we can't do it during the day, we have to train at night. If you want to talk about the battle plan, you are absolutely sure of it, but it is indeed difficult to fight Pingxiang, Liuyang, and Liling, and there are many of us, but there is too little shortage of weapons and ammunition. The alliance in Guangdong has not been contacted, so I said, overcome the difficulties and wait a little longer. ”

The dock officials of all walks of life were in an uproar, and they were angry and angry. Shen Yigu didn't say a word, but let out a long sneer, and shook his head slightly, obviously extremely annoyed by Xiao Kechang, Wei Zongquan, and Gong Ren.

Liao Shubao strode back and forth on the ground, panting suddenly, his hands seemed to have no place to put them, pinching his waist for a while, and turning hard for a while, muttering in his mouth. Seven or eight dock officials all looked at Liao Shubao, looking into his eyes. At this time, there was a sudden noise at the door, and a person forced to break in, although the Hongjiang members at the door tried their best to block it, but he still broke in, and everyone saw that it was the German monk.

Monk Demo clasped his hands together and said to everyone when he entered the door: "Buddhism is a holy place, but the Qing Dynasty does not let us have this holy land." The state of mind of the Buddha wants to enter the world as calm as a mirror from the turbulent state, but the Qing Dynasty government has to set off a wave of soaring waves again. The rushing and roaring water has come all over the world, and at this time we are not fighting it with the tenacious Great Wall like Mount Tai, but the Buddha is gone, the Buddhist disciples are gone, and the donors' love for the Buddha is gone. Bear it, I can't bear it! ”

Everyone heard that the monk Demo also advocated an immediate uprising.

Liao Shubao suddenly waved his hand, stomped his feet and shouted: "I can't work with you anymore, I must not work with you, you are not as knowledgeable as a German model monk." I don't believe that Hongjiang will be such a person, and he can't beat the few guns of the Qing dog, and I don't believe that delaying the uprising will do us any good. With that, he slammed the door and left, and three or four dock officials followed him away in a huff.

A few people wanted to stop him from coming back, but Shen Yigu waved his hand at them and said, "His bull temper, nine cows can't pull it back, let him go!" In a moment he will be back. The people sat down again for a meeting, arguing fiercely about whether to revolt immediately or to postpone it.

It was getting brighter, and the people in the room were still arguing and expressing their opinions, and the monk Demo no longer spoke, but was silently reciting the scriptures.

The Hongjiang members outside the house knew that the leaders were holding a meeting here, and despite the sentry's best efforts to stop them, they couldn't help but probe their heads to inquire about the news. When they heard a few words, they spread the gossip, you said this, I said that, and the gossip spread more and more. Then more Hongjiang members rushed over and surrounded the three floors of the hut where the meeting was held.

It's like a barrel of explosives full of gunpowder, and it only takes a little spark, and it seems that the whole of Anyuan is about to explode.

At this moment, suddenly a "straw sandal" ran from the side of the granite, and he pushed through the crowd and rushed into the house. The sentry guarding the gate saw that he was running news, and knew that he had something urgent, so he quickly dodged and let him in.

The straw sandals came to Gong Chuntai and whispered a few words into his ear, and Gong Chuntai was taken aback when he heard it.

Xiao Kechang's straw sandals also came, and reported the emergency to Xiao Kechang, Xiao Kechang couldn't hold his breath anymore, and stood up suddenly.

When everyone saw that something major had indeed happened, they all stood up, you look at me, I look at you, and they are all guessing what major things have happened.

Gong Chuntai glanced at Xiao Kechang, and Xiao Kechang nodded slightly.

Gong Chuntai sighed softly, stroked his black hair, stabilized his nerves, and said in an aggravated tone to everyone: "Leaders, don't hide it from everyone, just now Liao Shubao has gathered two or three thousand people in Mashi and erected a big flag, on which is written "Dahan", and there are 100 small flags, on which are written the words "officials force the people to rebel", "destroy the Manchurian and Xinghan" and so on. They were already preparing to march on Kamiuri, and in fact the uprising had already begun. ”

The dock officials cheered for a while, and the passion infected the Hongjiang members outside the door, and there was also a burst of cheers outside the door, shouting: "Okay! All right! "it! Dry up! ”

Shen Yigu smiled, gently stroked his sparse beard, and looked at the roof with his eyes, as if he was a little proud and proud. Monk Demo silently chanted: "My Buddha is compassionate, hoping to understand the truth of the universe from my personal experience and relieve the suffering and disasters of life. Xiao Kechang sighed again and again: "That's it, that's it, it's come to this, whether it's successful or defeated, it depends on God's will." ”

Gong Chuntai briefly exchanged views with Wei Zongquan, Gong Ren, Xiao Kechang, and Shen Yigu, and then waved his hand at everyone. Everyone stopped talking, but they were excited and looked at Gong Chuntai with full attention.

Gong Chuntai took a breath, straightened out his black hair, glanced around everyone with a firm and steady gaze, and then said in a loud voice: "Now I announce that the Hongjiang Society uprising has officially begun-"

The dock officials and backbones from all walks of life let out a burst of passionate cheers, and the thousands of Hongjiang Society disciples gathered outside the door heard the news and also let out a burst of unrestrained and noisy shouts. The voices of thousands of people gathered together to form a huge torrent, which filled the valley and rushed into the sky, quickly spreading and impacting towards the farther space!

Gongren also immediately sent a telegram to Wang Dayan: "Brother Dayan: I don't want to trouble you about the business in Hunan, but there is really a shortage of manpower here, please send someone to help quickly." Brother Gong Ren kowtows"

(If you want to know what the Hongjiang uprising will be, and listen to the next breakdown.) Thank you for your strong support, please collect, please comment, please vote, please vote, please move the gold finger, click on the top or step on it. ）