Tonight's Anqing City is exceptionally deserted and quiet, to say that there was no nightlife in that era. Ordinary people don't understand any spiritual needs, after all, filling their stomachs is the first place. The times are turbulent, when the cow is a horse, who is tired and tired for the whole family to have a bite to eat. It's tired enough than working hard during the day, and as soon as it gets dark, I pour down two bowls of gruel early to go to sleep, and I can save food and foreign oil for lighting. Only tonight, a thick latch was inserted behind the dilapidated wooden door, and all the old and young slept extra vigilantly, and the children were protected inside. It was destined to be a sleepless night.

When night fell, the restaurants and tea shops in the city that should have been brightly lit closed their doors one after another, and the black lights did not have the slightest intention of opening the doors to welcome customers. Even the flower street, which was like a market in the past, changed its extravagant style and closed its doors early. Shortly after the incident of Xiong Chengji's shelling of Anqing in November last year, the scene of that day is still vividly remembered by the people in Anqing. If it weren't for the city walls of Anqing City, it is estimated that the rebels would have entered Anqing City long ago! As for the 10 patrol battalions on paper, even those officials and masters don't have any hope, this team has long been rotten to the bones, and the gold and jade are ruined outside. The last time the Revolutionary Party came down to the city, the hundreds of stragglers had panicked them, and no one would have put their hopes in them.

At noon, the sound of gunshots like fried beans in the city made everyone feel inexplicably uneasy. After all, the last time Xiong Chengji attacked Anqing, it was not long ago, and the chaotic gunfire undoubtedly evoked unbearable memories in everyone's hearts.

The fear of the unknown combined with the instinctive awe of death effortlessly wears away the innate curiosity of human beings. In this world, there are many good deeds, and there are many people who love to chew the root of their tongues, but there are few people who are not afraid of death and do good deeds. Therefore, even the most popular lord has wisely chosen to retreat, and he is the king of grass with a gun in these years. The people who were panicked by the gunshots had a sense of urgency that disaster was coming, and there was actually an undercurrent surging under the calm surface of the city, and many wealthy businessmen simply packed up their families and began to find a way to leave Anqing, and then came back after avoiding the limelight. At the moment when the whole city was panicked, the only person in the entire Anqing who sat firmly on Diaoyutai was Zhu Jiabao, the lord of Futai. Jitai's recklessness and recklessness undoubtedly gave Zhu Jiabao a godsend, not only to take the opportunity to weaken the local clan Shili's control and interference in the army and local government affairs, but also to bring the 10 patrol battalions of Anqing into his arms. How could the experienced Zhu Jiabao let it go? Wen Yan appeased the bitter lord for a while, and gave a full 5,000 silver dollars as a local parent official to compensate the bitter lord. Later, with the cooperation of Hu Rui's understanding, he shot the patrol battalion who caused the accident on the spot, and so far, the political show of the people of Futai has been enough. The rest is the behind-the-scenes operation, Zhu Jiabao nodded with satisfaction and put down the tea bowl in his hand. A rectification storm is about to sweep the whole city of Anqing!

At this time, the guys of Mochizuki Pavilion were working hard to brush the bluestone slabs on the side of the road. After the execution, all the corpses that had been beaten into a sieve were taken away by the two patrol battalions outside the city on straw mats, leaving a trail of blood and bullet holes to be cleaned up. The thick wooden barrel poured buckets of well water onto the bluestone slabs, and cooperated with the brush to try to clear the blood stains that had solidified it. No matter how hard these guys tried, they couldn't wipe off the heavy smell of blood on it, but fortunately it was autumn, otherwise the flies would have been piled up. At this time, the kitchen in the backyard is also in full swing. A wisp of cooking smoke rose and soared, and the evening breeze gradually blew away the smell of firewood and charcoal in the dark night sky. In the kitchen, the lights were slightly drunk, and an old man over half a hundred years old with gray hair rolled up his sleeves and easily pounded a dough. The fires of both stoves were vigorous, the charcoal was crackling and burning, and the red flames were licking the bottom of the pot tirelessly. When the fire was enough, a burst of rich fresh fragrance began to spread in the kitchen, crab roe and abalone noodles, this is Mochizuki Pavilion's specialty pastry.

The autumn nights are already very cool, and insects from all walks of life are croaking to bid farewell to the departure of midsummer. After a busy afternoon, I finally finished taking care of the aftermath of the dead and injured brothers. The exhausted Yan Sanniang sniffed the fragrance, and touched the kitchen as if she was familiar with it. She likes to come here every time she is upset, because every time the old master will make snacks and wait for her. Looking at the faint light in the kitchen, Sanniang felt inexplicably warm. After a busy day, I was a little tired, and quietly leaned against the door frame, just like before. Sanniang watched the old man in the house come and go busily, the soup pot boiled this haode broth, the old master said that the noodles must be boiled to taste. There was a tacit silence, and looking at Sanniang's mind slowly became active, she asked thoughtfully:

"Old master, do you say that there are still good officials? If there is, then he weishenme willingly became a lackey of the Manchu Tartars?! Can he see the lives and deaths of the people?! ”

"Hehe, why did the good guy get up and ask this?"

The old man who was busy in the kitchen stopped what he was doing and looked back at Sanniang, and didn't think much about it. He knew that Sanniang would come here every time she was upset. The old man's eyes were full of love and pity. He is already very old, since he entered the palace in the Xianfeng period, he has served three generations of emperors for more than 30 years, and he is at the core of Manchu rule, and he has seen enough ugliness, numbness and deception. In the turmoil during the Gengzi years, he did not hesitate to escape the guns of the foreigners, and also escaped the sight of the masters, and fled the weeping imperial city behind him without looking back. On the way back to his hometown, he met Sanniang, who was still a half-old child at the time. The place of encounter is blurred, only remember that there were many people in Tangnan at that time, and among the passers-by in a hurry, she knelt on the side of the road with her head down, struggling to guard the body of a woman who had stiffened. There was no howling and crying of his peers, just stubbornly guarding there not to let any flies fall. He was a eunuch who was neither yin nor yang, and he had no fertility, so he saved Sanniang with a moment of mercy. Every time I think of this, the old master can't help but sigh, the first time I saw this child, the eyes were cold and frightening, I really don't know what kind of changes she has experienced before.

"Old master, it's useless for me, I can't see through my opponent for so many years."

Sanniang frowned and continued, a little frustrated. The rivers and lakes are sinister, she swallows and thieves across the north and south of the river for many years, and has experienced dozens of battles without being hurt at all, relying not only on martial arts, but also on guessing the thoughts of the opponent, so as to anticipate the enemy's opportunity.

"Hmm~ What Sanniang said, it should be the co-ordinator who broke out of the siege with illness today, right?"

The old master stopped what he was doing, squinted his eyes, and looked up in the steam, as if trying to see something clearly.

Sanniang nodded indifferently, turned sideways to look at the old master, waiting for his answer.

"Sanniang, I remember I told you that the most sinister thing in this world is the human heart, and it is difficult for you to see through a person without any speculation and understanding. But the co-ordinator is really a strange man. ”

The old master paused and continued.

"I've been in the Forbidden City for most of my life, for decades. In the past, Lord Zeng's Hunan Army, Li Zhongtang's Huai Army, and now Zhang Xiangshuai's Ziqiang Army, Yuan Xiangcheng's Beiyang, we have seen the famous teams in the Qing Dynasty. It's a pity that he is old, and he prides himself on being knowledgeable, but he is lonely and unheard of, and he never expected that there would be such a crouching tiger, hidden dragon in this Anqing realm. This lord has a good capital, that kind of strange-looking new bead gun is afraid that even the foreigner's army has never been equipped, but the small team of the new army has one each. There are also a large number of sharp weapons and equipment such as the electric gun (Makqin), and the entire Qing Dynasty can no longer find such a team. Even if Yuan Xiangcheng's Beiyang is coming, it is definitely not an opponent, if it is a melee battle, this team of men and horses is richer than the first battalion of Beiyang! Speaking of military discipline, looking at the atmosphere of the old private army of the new army today, it is still strong, and it is common for soldiers to pin their heads to the waistband of their trousers for the sake of monthly salaries, and to harass the people. I heard the big guys come back and say that they were ordered by you to bring a full 50,000 silver dollars to reward the new army, but they were turned away at the door, saying that their troops do not play this game. The soldiers guarding the camp didn't even want any money, and they were very angry. I don't think this adult is too little, I'm afraid I really don't eat this set. It is said that Wuhu has been changing with each passing day since the co-president took office, and the whole city has been opened to asphalt roads and street lamps by foreigners. Spend a lot of effort to take the real dry shares of the factory to attract the squire to buy shares, in exchange for the cooperation of rent reduction and interest reduction. The old man is old, and he has lived for seventy years, and he has never seen such an official! ”

"Old Master, what do you mean ......?"

"We ordinary officials in the Qing Dynasty are already commendable if they don't raid places, and it is even more rare in the world to benefit one party. It is said that this adult is still from a foreign background, and the training and drill of the new army are completely innovative and improved on the basis of the Germans. Knowing foreign affairs, being able to train soldiers, and running an industry are by no means comparable to those yellow belts in the capital. The second son just wants to be ambitious, I'm afraid that he has the world in his heart~"

As he spoke, the old master's squinted eyes suddenly flashed. His conclusion did not come out of thin air, but few of those who went abroad to stay abroad and open their eyes to Shijie would be satisfied with the current situation of the country. is not from a Manchu background, if you want to have a future, why bother so much? The mere fact that he made great efforts to reduce rents and interest rates to reconcile the contradictions between the squires and the tenants is enough to show that this person has excellent insight and a heart for the world.

"Who?!"

didn't wait for Sanniang to finish listening, she turned around and shouted. The moment he turned around, he touched the skin bag on his waist with a flicker, which always contained three poisoned swallow darts.

"Boss, something happened! Something happened! ”

A guy shouted and rushed from behind. Sanniang looked at the guy who was out of breath and frowned, what would be a big deal when it was so late.

"The old master, the master, something big has happened! Outside, an old man with eight sturdy men came knocking on the door with a large wooden box, saying that he had been entrusted by a noble man to comfort his wounded brother. I want to see you, and the brothers can't stop it, and more than 20 people have been knocked over, and now they are in the side hall! ”

The guy who reported the news took a breath and said hurriedly.

After listening to the man's narration, the old master and Sanniang were silent for a while, if it was the enemy looking for revenge, it would not be so troublesome, so they would just surround the yard and do it. Besides, the Swallow Gang has always been low-key and has no big enemies. As for friends, there is no way to talk about it. After pondering for a while, Sanniang made up her mind to meet these evil people, and first find out the intentions of these people.

"Inform all the brothers, be on your guard."

Sanniang and the old master glanced at each other, and immediately entered the state, threw down a sentence and floated to the side hall.

In the side hall on the other side, Uncle Shan patted the mahogany table with great interest, looking at the interior decoration with great interest. Behind him, Wang Tianda stood on the side like an iron tower with the seven combat backbones of the guard company, and the big wooden box he carried was placed in the middle of the hall. Losing does not lose momentum, this is the creed they established on the first day of the camp. Not to be outdone, the eight tower-like strong men confronted a group of guys on the opposite side who were blue and swollen but like a great enemy, and sighed in unison: "I'm embarrassed to deal with this little ability, I'm sorry!" It's a joke! The two groups of big men just looked at each other without showing weakness, their eyes were sharp and fierce, and the confrontation between the electric light and flint continued, and soon the atmosphere full of love in the room began to permeate.

After condescendingly observing a few wicked guests who slammed the door from the second floor, Sanniang quickly found a familiar face. The one in the lead, who looked like a tantric practitioner, put his hands on his waist and didn't move, and two long strips of silhouette could be vaguely seen in the wide robe. If memory serves, this man is the officer who led the troops during the day. After it was roughly determined that it was the new army, Sanniang's eyes swept over Wang Tianda and his party one by one, and found that except for the old man who was sitting, the other eight were each carrying pistols, and there was more than one! Sanniang didn't know Mauser 20 shots (although the Mauser pistol had been invented, it would take a long time for it to enter China on a large scale, at least before the Xinhai Revolution, the domestic new army was basically not equipped. Still revolvers are flying all over the sky, and only Beiyang massively adopted Browning 1900 and 1910 seven-shot pistols. But during the day, the thing was hanging from a boxy long magazine, and the 20 rounds of fire were terrifying at close range, let alone two guns. I remember that the co-ordinator had such a pistol team next to him.

With a gasp, Sanniang gave the brother who was on standby behind her a look and strode in.

"It turned out to be Miss Yan, who came to visit rashly late at night, and there was a lot of disturbance, please forgive me~"

Uncle Shan got up with a smile and hugged his fists and said politely. People are old and fine, and they have never had anything to do with shopping malls and officialdom with Old Man Hu for most of their lives. After his young master went back, he didn't think about it, and even kicked and beat Wang Tianda to check the details of this Yan girl. Now that the new army has such a big family background, it is even rumored internally that Lord Zhu Jiabao and Master Zhu plan to take the opportunity of this patrol turmoil to disarm the 10 patrol battalions in Anqing in one fell swoop, and assign all the 10 battalions to the young master, who will be responsible for organizing and training into an army. Well, there are 24 patrol battalions before and after, 12,000 people, plus more than 5,500 people of the New Army, which is 20,000 people, which is more than a town of the Beiyang Army! It is not so much that the young master has fallen in love with this hundred-and-ten Jianghu man, but rather that he has fallen in love with this Yan girl. Ahem, the future young grandmother...... Uncle Shan naturally put himself at the bottom end.

"You're welcome, what do you call the old man? Let's just open the skylight and say something. 50,000 silver dollars is the maximum price that Sanniang can come up with at this stage, if the co-ordinator is too little, please forgive a few days, Rong Sanniang to raise funds. Today's events are all because of me alone, and I, Yan Sanniang, am by no means a person who does not repay my kindness, even if I mortgage the Moon Pavilion, I will try my best to satisfy Lord Xietong. These brothers are all from a bitter background, and I ask you to raise your noble hands and not embarrass them. ”

Sanniang's face was gloomy, and she simply had a showdown.

"Hahahaha, the girl is serious! I heard that the swallow thief was brave and brave, and when I saw it today, it really deserved its name! The girl is too careful, but the old man has no such intention. The brothers of your gang are also men who stand up to the sky, and if the girl really wants to do this, she will definitely not agree to them. Right and relieved, my young master is by no means a greedy person. ”

Uncle Shan gestured with his hand, and secretly sighed in his heart that his young master had a good vision. It's really rare for a good girl to be so affectionate and righteous, and she is like this to her brothers, can she be worse than her husband. As for the thorny words in the language, they are automatically ignored, the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty is like this, and it is not this time that the young master is misunderstood.

As soon as Uncle Shan's words came out, the audience was shocked, including Sanniang, and they changed color. Sanniang subconsciously touched her hand into the leather bag on her waist. Uncle Shan carefully paid attention to the changes in Sanniang's facial expression, and felt a burst of pride in his heart. The young master's previous guess was indeed right.

"Miss Yan doesn't have to be nervous, the old man was ordered to send something to Miss Yan today. Come on, open it~"

Uncle Shan glanced at Wang Tianda and the others standing behind him, Wang Tianda immediately took a brother and swept the opposite side vigilantly, strode forward and opened the heavy wooden box. Pushing aside the layers of moisture-proof oiled paper, a strong smell of gun oil began to evaporate. Under the candlelight, there was a row of submachine guns neatly stacked in the wooden box, and the round single arch and hollow barrel were particularly eye-catching. It is the PPSH41-Bobosha submachine gun, which is famous for its fierce firepower and solid structure! The experts of the Anqing Manufacturing Bureau spent a whole half a year on the rapid research and finally produced the first batch of prototype guns according to the drawings, because the chrome jishu is difficult for the Anqing Manufacturing Bureau at this stage, and it cannot occupy the production line of the Stern submachine gun, so the output is extremely low. The first batch of 40 pieces left the factory were spontaneously rushed by the technicians during the rest time, and it took two months to 'save' them.

"Anqing Manufacturing Bureau has 10 latest 70-round guns, 40 self-made Mauser 20-round pistols, and 3,000 bullets. Miss Yan, please count. ”

Uncle Shan said that this gift should be enough. What is the situation of the Anqing Manufacturing Bureau today, Uncle Shan knows that although the production line of the German Mauser 98 rifle has been introduced, the production volume has not been able to increase due to the lack of skilled technicians and the limitation of the special steel output of the Saddle Iron Works. The rifle was produced according to the young master's assembly line, and the secondary parts such as bayonets were contracted out, so that the workers could produce 200 pieces a day at full power. The Stern submachine gun equipped by the new army at this stage can be said to be the ultimate in many, fast, and economical, but in this way, the actual monthly output is still only about 60 units, and the production of bullets is not much better, let alone the latest submachine gun that even the new army is not equipped with. In the final analysis, it is still too backward, and now the apprentices of German technicians have not been brought out, and the output is so much in a short period of time.

"Coo-dong", this is the sound of everyone swallowing saliva collectively.

"Someone, tea."

Sanniang ignored the various green eyes around her and said lightly. I'm afraid there will be a talk tonight.