The campfire at the Xinhekou wharf was blazing, and more than 500 shipwrights, merchants, and armed escorts on 47 large and small cargo ships were all detained by the officers and men of the Third Regiment in several small courtyards along the coast, and the quartermaster officers and brothers of the Third Regiment were counting the grain, cloth, salt, and miscellaneous goods of a ship, and the seized more than 3,000 yuan and more than 30 long and short guns were neatly placed on the blue brick floor of the artillery headquarters, and there were more than 200 broadswords and spears of all kinds on the corner of the wall.

An Yi, Hu Zi and others visited the injured brothers and returned to the headquarters, and after listening to the reports of the regiment commander Gu Changfeng and the regiment deputy Wu Liheng and others, they immediately hesitated.

The people who shot at the officers and soldiers who were ordered to inspect the ships were none other than the Dadaohui gang, who had huge power in southern Lunan and northern Jiangsu. According to Gu Changfeng's interrogation, more than 380 of the more than 500 people were members of this huge gang.

The big knife society has the same surname as the Red Gun Society, which has more than 200,000 members, and it is a gang organization formed spontaneously by the people, and the county gangs are connected with each other, strictly speaking, they belong to a branch of Taoism, and most of the members are young and strong in the countryside, drinking talismans and chanting mantras all year round, gathering people to practice martial arts, and the village joint group will protect itself, and go out far to raise the teacher and mobilize the people, and go into battle together with swords and guns, not only to resist foreign humiliation and protect the territory and the people, but also to violently resist the law and kill officials and local regular troops. Northern Jiangsu and northern Anhui launched many large-scale attacks on more than 10 county political axes, killing officials and garrisons, occupying county ya, opening cells, and dividing up all valuable items, and then scattering birds and beasts, and there were also a few gangs under the leadership of the political party to form their own political axes and declare their own laws, and the warlords Sun Chuanfang and Zhang Zongchang suffered from the fierce offensive of the Northern Expeditionary Army, and could not spare their hands to suppress these rebellious peasants.

However, due to the mixed mix of fish and dragons in the gangs, the good and the bad are uneven, many gang leaders through religious intimidation and private public courts, etc., for the sake of the township, there are also many gangs relying on their own force to plunder the past merchants, in the name of escorting the big businessmen, with the condition of "two out of ten, three out of ten" as the condition, to help the merchants escort goods through the state and county, now it is said that this is entrenched in the east of the mouth of the Luoma Lake, the Pixian Dadao Society, is doing this business.

"Tiger head, after the brothers revealed their identities, the other party still dared to shoot?" An Yi asked in disbelief.

Gu Changfeng replied with annoyance: "That's right, the two leaders led by me shouted after I tied them up, saying that they didn't even buy Sun Chuanfang, I don't believe that anyone dares to hurt a single hair of him, and they still shout that if they don't let go, tens of thousands of people will find us trouble, dog!" Lao Tzu has never suffered this kind of wretched spirit in his life, if Lao Lu and Lao Wu hadn't hugged me to death, Lao Tzu would have cut off his head on the spot! Considering the importance of the matter, it can only be reported. ”

Hu Jialin grinned: "The old bandit has met the new bandit." ”

An Yi couldn't help but wonder, and after calling a few businessmen to ask about the situation of being forced and coerced, he pondered for a moment and immediately ordered the heralds: "You call Lao Ding and Xia Jian and ask them to prepare for departure." ”

"Yes!"

The herald strode over to the telephone.

Beard asked in surprise, "Really fighting?" ”

"Why don't you fight? Don't listen to the bluff of those two bandit leaders, not long after our friendly army took Pi County, a regiment of General He Yaozu is still stationed in the county seat, just worried that the bold local gangs will harass and attack, these sideways are not reasonable gangs, not only attacking Sun Chuanfang and Zhang Zongchang's troops, but even our Northern Expeditionary Army has suffered a lot, especially the First Route Army of Chief He Jingzhi has been attacked, but there is no way to stop and clean up the gangs gathered in the depths of the mountains and lakes, and they are spoiled, This time, he disobeyed the inspection and shot our brother first, can Lao Tzu let him go?

This gang of rabble, there are only 2,000 people in the sky, even if he tens of thousands of Lao Tzu will destroy him! An Yi had clearly made up his mind.

Lu Cambridge, the instructor of the regiment, said worriedly: "It is estimated that things will be big with such a dozen. ”

An Yi Zhengse said: "It is to make a big fuss, and let all the gangs know that they must not provoke our Northern Expeditionary Army, otherwise there will be absolutely no good end."

During this time, the task of our whole division is to eliminate the remnants of bandits and rogues, protect the territory and the people, maintain the trade road, do not take practical action, so many bandits around will not be afraid, they rely on their familiarity with the terrain, occupy a favorable position and constantly harass the towns and towns in the four directions, take advantage of the war to do crazy evil, burn and loot everywhere, and when the war is over, they will watch the wind and rudder to join the winning army, and when the war resumes and leave the army to start their old business, why do he keep such hidden dangers if he does not eliminate them?

Don't worry about offending the Big Knife Society or the Red Gun Society, just remember one thing, that is, don't mess with our readers, as long as you do, you will attract double the revenge. ”

"However, most of the gang members are desperate peasants! It was precisely because of this understanding that his subordinates and Lao Wu hugged the tiger's head and prevented him from cutting people. ”

Lu Cambridge is worthy of being a good hand at political work, and he thinks more thoughtfully than anyone else.

An Yi's words made Lu Cambridge lose his temper: "Since ancient times, killing people has to pay for their lives, not to mention that they killed revolutionary soldiers, they are our brothers, Lao Tzu does not avenge his brothers, what kind of face do they have to continue to be the commander of this division?" Old Lu, I can understand your concerns, please rest assured, we will only kill the first evil and will not kill the innocent. ”

Gu Changfeng came to his senses: "Boss, you can give the order to do it." ”

An Yi nodded: "Go and gather all the detainees on the dock, pull out the six who shot and announce the crime and behead them on the spot, and then pull out the leaders of the hall and law enforcement in the captive, and let the killed brothers of the third company be shot!" ”

"Yes!"

Gu Changfeng turned around and left to make arrangements.

Hu Jialin asked, "Will the others let it go back?" ”

"We must release it, otherwise we will be executioners, but we can't let it all go now. Beard, you have to work hard, don't they shout and panic all day long? ...... like this"

An Yi lay on his shoulder and muttered for a while, Hu Zi nodded and quickly led the adjutant guards back to the division headquarters, An Yi waved his hand to let Wu Liheng and Lu Cambridge get closer:

"Lao Wu, you lead a battalion to bypass from the southeast direction, and set up an ambush in the south bank of the river bay of Tushan Town, west of the mouth of Luoma Lake, Lao Tzu estimates that this gang is likely to come to rob people, and Xia Jian's battalion will cooperate with you in the area of the river bank south of Nian Zhuang. Remember, after the siege, let the brothers with good marksmanship pick the leader of the bandits to fight, and if the bandits want to escape, they will be sealed with a machine gun for me, and no one will be let go! ”

"Yes!"

Wu Liheng left with his hands on his hands.

"Lao Lu, you organize the instructors of each battalion and company to do the ideological work of the prisoners, tell them what kind of army we are, and let them know what is the difference between our revolutionary army and the warlords." An Yi said with a smile.

"Got it! The subordinates will go and prepare. ”

On the bright dock, as Gu Changfeng roared a "slash", six heads fell to the ground in the fierce blood light, and everyone was horrified to see the iron-blooded style of this revolutionary army.

Then the seventeen bandit leaders who were escorted to the scene finally let out a sad cry for mercy, but under the guns of the angry brothers of the third company, they returned to the underworld in a blink of an eye.

The deafening sound of gunfire and desperate wails frightened the souls of more than a dozen merchants and most of the gangs in the surrounding area, and it was not until the brothers of the newly formed engineering company of the third regiment rushed into the field to remove the corpses and heads, and the crowd let out a sound of panic.

Gu Changfeng, who was standing on the stone slab, announced loudly: "Listen, for a long time, your gang has robbed and persecuted passing merchants and lone pedestrians, lawlessness and endangerment in all directions.

Considering that many of you are also the same as the soldiers of our army, you are all from poor families, but you are confused and follow the wrong person for a while, after our department's research and decision, your gang is allowed to redeem you with money, ten oceans per person, not a penny less! Now I will send seven of you back to raise money, and if the ransom is not delivered by noon tomorrow, we will shoot the remaining three hundred and fifty-five according to military law! ”

As soon as this order came out, the whole audience mourned, and the shipwrights immediately distanced themselves from more than two hundred gangs, and the merchants were worried about being retaliated by the gang, so they all beat their chests and lungs, and loudly pleaded for the gang, Gu Changfeng was unmoved, and personally singled out seven angry and resentful gangsters, and ordered the officers and soldiers under his command to escort them to the dock, push a small boat and let the seven people go down the river to report the news.

More than 200 panicked gangsters were separated into two courtyards, and more than a dozen instructors led by Lu Cambridge dispersed in to launch a political propaganda offensive.

The businessmen on the dock begged Gu Changfeng not to kill so many people, what kind of pedantic words such as "the law does not blame the public", "God has the virtue of a good life", "when is the time to repay the wronged", who knew that Gu Changfeng smiled and said with a smile that if he didn't pay a penny, he would kill one more, military law is like a mountain, who dares to disobey it?

The businessmen who were deeply afraid of being retaliated by the gang saw Gu Changfeng's attitude so resolute, knowing that the matter was irreparable and would definitely suffer from the crazy retaliation of the Big Knife Society, they discussed with each other for a while, and all threw down the goods and fled overnight, most of them moved south with their families within two days, and the merchants in Chuzhou, Huai'an and other places never dared to set foot in this land again, they knew very well that if the goods were lost, they could still do it back in the future, and there would be nothing left when the head moved, not to mention that the Pixian Big Knife Society had always used the means of destroying the door to retaliate.

As soon as he entered the door, he ordered Zhan Huanqi to report to Bai Chongxi that his three regiments were attacked by local gangs and the three battalions of his headquarters decided to clear out this group of bandits.

At nine o'clock in the morning of the next day, more than 2,300 gangs of the Pixian Dadao Society, under the leadership of the head of the sect and more than a dozen hall masters, divided into land and water, and slaughtered towards the mouth of the new river with great momentum.

The crowd was full of big knives, guillotines, and shuttle darts, and the two of them carried five or six old-fashioned guns made of the Qing Dynasty, and there were seven or eight earthen cannons made of pine wood on the bow of the ship, and the leaders above the hall master had a barge gun tied with a red ribbon in their waists, and the small leaders carried an old sleeve, full of energy, shouting and shouting, and the long fleet and the team on the shore marched hand in hand, and the sound of swearing and cursing came and went, and there was a great tendency that this revenge would not be avenged.

This rabble never expected that on both sides of the river bay just three miles ahead, seven or eight pairs of binoculars were silently aimed at them, dozens of light and heavy machine guns had already been set up in the dirt slopes and wild grasses on both sides, and more than 60 first-class shooters occupied favorable terrain and were calmly waiting. They didn't even know that after this outpouring of the nest, their nest at the mouth of the lake would not be guaranteed, and the little money they had accumulated over the years would be looted by the brothers of the Reading Division Guard Battalion.

(To be continued)