The mountains are constantly stretching out, as if the mysteries of metaphysical philosophy are unpredictable, and Chen Wenqiang's ideas are constantly expanding. The pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info in the shade of a big tree, and he didn't know how long he sat there, holding a branch on the ground and scratching it constantly, and from time to time he wiped it off with his feet.

Although the victory was gratifying, it also added luster to the propaganda tour of the great revolutionary Song Fuhua, but it presented him with a problem. Is it just going to go on like this, to fight bigger and bigger, and finally expose everything that is hidden? Although it is not impossible to say this, Chen Wenqiang feels that it is a small loss and a big loss, and it is not an ideal result.

Although Wu Luzhen had some reservations in the following military operations after completely annihilating a patrol battalion, one patrol battalion was still severely damaged, and the other fled in panic. In this way, the Qing army in Guangdong will inevitably come to reinforcements, and the situation is developing in a direction that Chen Wenqiang does not want.

After thinking about it, Chen Wenqiang felt that the matter had come to this point, and it was suspicious to shrink his hands and feet, so it was better to just do it. Backed by Wuzhi Mountain, you can advance or retreat, and then there are hoarded materials, as well as Yazhou, Baoting, Lingshui this piece of land as a hidden backup, even if the enemy is not the Qing army, you can enter the mountains and forests can also hold on for a long time.

Chen Wenqiang stood up, stretched his arms, and let go of the long-thinking problem, he felt relaxed. Why do we have to suffer from gains and losses? Life is heroic, it's a big deal to start all over again. With his current reputation and savings, he can live anywhere without worrying about food and clothing.

There will inevitably be fatigue, pain, frustration, and bitterness in life. All these make people feel very tired, but as long as there is a bright fire of hope in the heart and a bright lamp, the ideal will shine and life will be colorful.

What is the bright light in Chen Wenqiang's heart, to have a stable environment for life, and then to have enough money. I have a beautiful wife, lovely children, and friends who are kind to each other......

What to say about patriotism and love for the people; Whatever loyalty and blood you talk about, you are all smearing powder on your face. In those days. What he heard and witnessed was a scene that made people feel depressed and humiliated, and everything he did actually came from the most instinctive calling. Only the most instinctive is the most real.

Preaching is empty and exaggerated, and it is not practical to exaggerate, he is confident that he is not "tall and complete", and he does not want to be constrained by those rigidity. Reality threw him in that turbulent era, at the fork in the road of national survival, and he could only rely on his own efforts to struggle. Go and struggle.

All for one, one for all. Others may not have heard this sentence, but Chen Wenqiang seems to be selflessly dedicating his wisdom and physical strength, on the other hand, he is also creating conditions for the better life he is looking forward to. Completely abandoning himself and devoting himself to the tide of the times with lofty and great thoughts, Chen Wenqiang can't do it, everyone has seven emotions and six desires, and presumably only a saint can do it.

It is precisely because there are seven emotions and six desires. Time has also unconsciously changed Chen Wenqiang. He had killed people and seen many people die around him. I saw countless people living in misery and struggling to survive......

cold, ruthless, killing people without even blinking an eye, this is Chen Wenqiang; insidious, cunning, and free to move through the cracks, this is Chen Wenqiang; Hard, tired. In order for the people who care about to be able to eat well, work hard, this is also Chen Wenqiang; Prudence, caution, and trying to keep yourself and your companions safe, this is even more Chen Wenqiang......

In the final analysis, Chen Wenqiang does not have the quality of a true revolutionary who sacrifices himself for the country. He did not have the spirit of throwing his head lightly for the sake of ideals, but only became a big benefactor of the revolution by virtue of the knowledge he possessed, and did not want to go with the tide of the times with his personal insight into history.

……………

Guangzhou general Chengxun was assassinated, the Wanning uprising spread, Qiongya soldiers were killed, and the patrol battalion retreated in panic and lost the fighting spirit.

All this forced the Manchu court and the Cantonese government to take action to stop the situation from deteriorating further. Chengxun was killed, and the Qing court was shocked, and urgently ordered Fuqi, the deputy capital of Manchuria in Guangzhou, to temporarily appoint it, and ordered him to deal with the Qiongzhou rebellion together with Li Zhun, the commander of the navy.

At that time, the banner soldiers were already unbearable, Fu Qi was lazy, and the main force to exterminate the bandits was naturally Li Zhun's patrol battalion. Li Zhun did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly transferred five battalions of soldiers and horses to cross the sea to garrison Qiongya (Haikou) by boat, and led four ships to Yazhou. Because Li Zhun was a little strange, Qiongnan was almost attacked by bandits, but Yazhou was unharmed. Moreover, he also had the idea of transporting troops from Yazhou and attacking the bandits from the north and south.

As soon as he arrived in Yazhou, Li Zhun happened to see a busy scene. Two British ships were anchored in the harbor, barges coming and going, unloading their cargo from the docks. The men and horses of the merchant group, armed with guns and ammunition, stood guard on the docks, and patrolled the sea on small steamers.

Landing on the shore, Li Zhun looked at the wooden crates on the dock and was quite puzzled, and also a little afraid, could it be that the bandits had colluded with Chen Wenqiang and received food and ammunition assistance from here.

There was not much time, Chen Wenqiang rushed to the dock with a gloomy face, and the guards around him were fierce, not so much to greet them, but to show signs of asking the teacher for guilt.

"Lord Chen, when will you return to Yazhou?" According to rumors outside, Chen Wenqiang should be in Shanghai or Qingdao at this time, and Li Zhun is a little strange.

"Hmph, hmph." Chen Wenqiang snorted twice and hurriedly handed over his hand, "I heard that the riot is difficult to control, and I am afraid that the foundation will be lost, so I hurried back." ”

Li Zhun smiled and said meaningfully: "It's not necessarily that the riot is difficult to control, but the bandits are obviously afraid of Lord Chen's prestige, so they don't dare to invade Yazhou. ”

"Hmph, hmph, hmph." Chen Wenqiang sneered disdainfully, and replied resentfully: "One hundred thousand taels of silver, one hundred guns, this money is spent to buy peace, does Master Li think the price is fair?" ”

"You dare to ...... bandits" Li Zhun was really taken aback and stretched out his hand to Chen Wenqiang.

With a snap, Chen Wenqiang unceremoniously slapped Li Zhun's hand down, spitting and shouting confidently: "So what? If it weren't for the incompetence of your officers and soldiers, would Lao Tzu be guilty of spending this unjust money? Lao Tzu has invested millions in Yazhou, just watch it be ruined? Lao Tzu can't count on you, he wants to recruit troops and buy horses by himself, have you seen these wooden boxes, all of them are weapons that Lao Tzu snapped up from Hong Kong, and he was defrauded by those foreign devils for a lot of money. You can't do it, don't let Lao Tzu find a way? It really doesn't make sense. ”

"You, you ......" Li Zhun's hand was numb by Chen Wenqiang's slap, and he was robbed, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

"I'll tell you." Chen Wenqiang stretched out his hand and pointed at Li Zhun, and said loudly with resentment: "It's just a matter of recruiting troops, I have already sent someone to Qingdao." Spend money to invite 500 German soldiers to Yazhou, and whoever dares to move Lao Tzu's foundation again, Lao Tzu will beat him up. ”

Li Zhun's eyes widened, he didn't expect Chen Wenqiang to be so domineering, not only daring to be a bandit privately, but also privately recruiting troops to expand his armament. Also, foreign soldiers were invited.

Chen Wenqiang glared at Li Zhun without showing weakness, and estimated that this toughness with a gun and a stick had suppressed this guy.

"Okay, okay, let's discuss calmly, don't be so impulsive." Li Zhun finally realized that it would not be possible to solve the problem with Chen Wenqiang, but would make the situation more complicated.

"Okay, I'll talk to you." Chen Wenqiang waved his hand, and someone took two rattan chairs. He sat down first, Erlang's legs were cocked, and he said with a smile: "Please, Master Li." ”

Li Zhun sat down with a frown, let out a long sullen breath, and tried to say in a gentle tone: "Lord Chen, not to mention when this bandit will be calmed down, it will be very inappropriate for you to invite foreign soldiers. And not only the imperial court will be furious. What about civil discussions? ”

"Who said I hired foreign soldiers?" Chen Wenqiang smiled slyly and said, "I invited a foreign instructor. Foreign teachers, what are the problems of revitalizing teachers and running schools? ”

Isn't this talking nonsense with your eyes open? There are instructors and teachers with guns and guns? Li Zhun smiled bitterly and said, "Then Lord Chen, can you give the official an explanation, how many weapons have you bought now, and how many people have you recruited?" ”

Chen Wenqiang groaned for a moment and took out a small notebook from his arms. He looked at it and said: "300 British Manlicia rifles, 200 German Mauser, 200 Belgian six-wheel pistols, and 300 American six-wheel pistols." Well, that's all there is to the gun. As for the people, there are almost six or seven hundred people in the merchant group and the militia group, but they have just been trained, and I am afraid that they will not be able to fight. ”

Li Zhun swallowed his saliva and said with a wry smile: "Lord Chen, did you buy all the guns and ammunition from foreign companies in Hong Kong?" This, the mood of protecting the foundation is understandable, but the practice is improper, very inappropriate! ”

Chen Wenqiang stared at Li Zhun for a long time before he sighed, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "I don't know that this is inappropriate, but what can I do?" There are factories and mines that I have built in cooperation with well-known German companies, and if they fail, this reputation will be completely destroyed. Originally, I thought that Qiongya's military preparation could quell the bandits, but who thought that it would be an even more miserable defeat. Looking at Qiongzhou, how can there be officers and soldiers who can compete with the bandits? I spent the money, handed over the gun, and kept the peace for the time being. I was in a hurry to buy guns and recruit people, and I knew that the bandits would not be trusted, and I didn't know when I would reach out and ask for them. ”

Li Zhun breathed a sigh of relief and said: "The Qiongzhou patrol battalion has not fought for a long time, and there are no more bandits than Guangdong, and the patrol battalion has to often go out to fight and kill. Liu Yongdian divided his troops and advanced rashly, and the enemy was defeated, but he should not lose confidence in the officers and men. ”

Chen Wenqiang shook his head lightly and complained: "The riots have a very bad impact. I had already told the German side that the Dehua University would be opened in Yazhou, but now it depends on the situation, if it is in Qingdao, it will be in the German sphere of influence, which is not what I want; Migration development is just getting on track, and who wants to go to the land of turmoil now? I don't give money to others; Recruiting troops, snapping up weapons, how much extra money is this? You also know that the foundation here is not mine, it is a joint venture share, everyone can trust me, so let me take the lead, if there is a mistake, how can I deal with myself? I was busy in Shanghai with the big things that Lord Cen explained, but I couldn't turn around in a hurry, full of anger, and Lord Li was not strange. ”

Li Zhun completely relieved himself, he had such a big industry in Yazhou, and he was greatly affected in the riots, this is all a fact, if Chen Wenqiang participated in the riots, it is really unbelievable. And Chen Wenqiang was extremely angry at first, messing around by unscrupulous means, and then complaining and sighing, this realistic performance made Li Zhun dispel his suspicions.

"Lord Chen can deal with the bandits and try to keep Yazhou from losing, does Chen Dacong recognize the leader of the bandits?" Li Zhun changed his words, and he no longer talked about the bandits, but went around, it can be seen that the Chinese language is very exquisite, it depends on what you say.

"Master Li forgot another identity of the lower official." Chen Wenqiang smiled faintly, "I'm helping, and I can be regarded as a figure in the rivers and lakes." One of the bandits was a leader named Xu Chunshan, who had been to Shanghai when he had fled, and had been taken care of by the main parish, and he had a good acquaintance with me. Speaking of which, he is also a good man who knows how to repay his kindness, but Zheng Hong's name is on top, and he has to explain. ”

"Xu Hongming is dead." Li Zhun frowned slightly, thought about it, and asked tentatively, "Then why did this Xu Chunshan participate in the riot?" ”

"Then who knows? I guess it's a difficult life, so let's take risks! Chen Wenqiang shook his head, paused, and asked, "How many soldiers and horses did Master Li bring with him this time, but can you be sure that the riot will be quelled in one go?" ”

"If it's an ordinary bandit, how can you fight against the officers and soldiers?" Li Zhun frowned slightly, "This revival will come a lot, and with its backing, it may not be easy to suppress the banditry." ”

"Hmph, speaking of which, the government taxes are too heavy, and the corrupt officials are too harsh to the people." Chen Wenqiang bluntly expressed his dissatisfaction in his heart, "It's normal to go back on your word, just say that this immigration is exempt from taxation for two years, if I don't temporarily suppress it, I'm afraid that someone will collude with the bandits and make this Yazhou chaotic." ”

Li Zhun grinned and said with a wry smile: "Gengzi's compensation is too heavy, and the imperial court has apportioned it, how can there be any reason for various places not to make up for it?" As for this, when I talk to the Governor, I may loosen up. Now, the riots must be curbed and not allowed to develop. I plan to attack from Qiongya and Yazhou, but the ships are limited, and the grain supply in Yazhou is -"

"It's not that I'm prevaricating, it's not that I'm stingy." Chen Wenqiang shook his head and interrupted Li Zhun, "It's a bit inappropriate to attack the bandits from Yazhou, if you win, it's naturally good, if you lose, won't the bandits be angry with me?" At that time, it was impossible to spend money to buy peace. ”

"The five battalions of Qiongya, the third battalion of Yazhou, and the eight battalions of the people, can't they still defeat the bandits?" Li Zhun was a little amused at Chen Wenqiang's excessive caution, and said: "Brother Chen, don't raise the morale of the bandits, and look down on the officers and soldiers too lowly. ”

"I've seen what the officers and soldiers look like, but it's not for no reason." Chen Wenqiang still insisted on his opinion, "Let's not talk about combat effectiveness, let's just talk about this military discipline, which is really worrying." Once the merchant group and the militia group were expanded, almost all the people in the villages and towns had contacts, and if the harassment of officers and soldiers provoked a change, wouldn't it be even more troublesome? ”

Li Zhun thought for a moment and asked bluntly: "Then, according to Lord Chen's view, where should the officers and soldiers land so that they can flank the bandits from the north and south?" ”

"There are many places near the sea in Qiongnan, where can't you?" Chen Wenqiang smiled, and the answer he said made Li Zhun smile bitterly.

…………… (To be continued.) )