"Marshal, Zhang Qian, Minister of Civil Affairs of the Suzhou Provisional Military Government, is here, saying that he is here to work for the army."

"Okay, got it, you go down."

Hu Rui waved his hand a little unhappily.

"I'm afraid that this Zhang Qian is not good, what do you think of Sanniang?"

Hu Rui rubbed his temples and asked with a wry smile. Before the crossing, he was just a very ordinary military cadet, and politics had nothing to do with him, so that now Hu Rui has a feeling of being blind in the face of the intricate forms of the country

"It's not going to be good, but don't worry. Suzhou has only one provisional 23 mixed association, and in terms of troops, equipment, personnel quality, and combat effectiveness, they are not on the same level as ours. If you really want to do it, even if you have a conspiracy, you will definitely not be able to take advantage of it. Besides, we came with the power of victory in this crusade, how is he Cheng Dequan compared to Tieliang and Zhang Renjun? ”

Perhaps only when facing Hu Rui will Sanniang show her original side as a girl's family. With a light smile, he handed over a glass of water and enlightened.

"When we passed through Wuxi, Changzhou, before, both places were in a hurry to temporarily recover before our army arrived. Cheng Dequan probably also saw the doorway, and planned to block us out of Suzhou in the name of recovery. Zhang Qian was sent to touch our bottom, and secondly, to prepare to cut meat and feed the wolves, and send us away as soon as possible with the silver. Changzhou and Wuxi also did this before, and he Cheng Dequan just relied on the gourd to draw the scoop and copy it. ”

"I'm not worried about this, we have a reorganized division of more than 13,000 people, and a division of 75mm mountain artillery regiment, he Cheng Dequan has such a little money in his hands, if he dares to make trouble, it will be purely full! I have a headache with that Zhang Qian, I guess he is a drunkard this time, not drinking, and there are people behind him who are directing. ”

Hu Rui took the quilt with both hands and covered his hands warmly.

"Are you worried about Yuan Shikai?!"

Sanniang thought for a moment and asked rhetorically.

Hu Rui nodded dejectedly, the Anhui Revolutionary Army at this stage is still in its infancy, and it is difficult to shake the Beiyang, which has deep roots. Not to mention that two of the existing four divisions are newly formed and have not yet formed combat effectiveness, and the other two have never fought against such a hard bone as the Beiyang Army. The actual combat experience is relatively lacking, and from Jiujiang to Anqing and Wuhu, this stall is also too big, and guards are needed everywhere. He couldn't tell Sanniang that as a constitutionalist Zhang Qian, a great reason for the chaotic situation of warlord secession in history was because of him, and he and Yuan Shikai had always been inseparable and disconnected.

"Then you might as well use both soft and hard, that is, to show strength, but also to a certain extent to show weakness. This Zhang Qian can be regarded as having a considerable reputation in China, born as a champion, and has a good reputation in both the government and business circles. In short, this meeting, all kinds of proportions are only in your own hands. ”

Sanniang thought about it, sat next to her with a smile, looked at Hu Rui, who was frowning, and kicked the ball back to Hu Rui's feet with a smile.

"Well, I'd better quickly change my clothes and go and greet them myself."

Hu Rui glanced at Sanniang resentfully, and muttered to get up.

Hu Rui changed into a dress, took Sanniang and a staff member of the staff and hurriedly got out of the car. In the distance, a group of deputies headed by Zhang Qian were staring at the guard battalion with a blue face. Wang Tianda personally led the team to block the people, and all the submachine guns in his hands were loaded. The atmosphere was tense and awkward.

"Is the person who came Ji Zhilao? Filial piety is rude! ”

Hu Rui saluted from afar and confessed loudly.

"The old man Zhang Qian has seen Hu Dashuai!"

Zhang Qian is an old man who has stayed in North Korea and mixed with officialdom, and immediately reacted, the young man in front of him must be Hu Rui, the commander-in-chief of the Anhui Army. immediately put away his face, stepped forward with three points of arrogance, and responded with arched hands.

"We are the people's soldiers, the people's army! See clearly! It is not the Manchu Tartars who came, but the representatives of the people of Suzhou! Stand out for me! ”

It's still necessary to act on the spot, Hu Rui scolded with cold eyes.

"Bang" stood upright, Wang Tianda saluted respectfully, didn't say anything, withdrew with the troops, and got out of the way.

"Kwa Kua Kua"

After the more than 600 people in the guard battalion evacuated with neat steps, Zhang Qian, who had been watching coldly before, couldn't help but change color slightly. As an advocate of constitutionalism, he was an ambitious and capable man. I have worked with Yuan Shikai before, and I have also stayed in North Korea and mixed with officialdom. can be regarded as a person who knows soldiers, and the team in front of him is definitely an elite soldier among elite soldiers. Let's not talk about the kind of repeating pistols they have never seen before, let's just say that this military discipline and military appearance are obviously higher than those of Beiyang. Before coming, Zhang Qian hadn't taken Hu Rui in his eyes, because Hu Rui was too young, young people were always naïve and impulsive, and it was impossible to threaten the scheming Yuan Shikai. But seeing the army in front of him, Zhang Qian subverted all the previous arguments. The person who has been able to endure under Zhu Jiabao's nose for many years and train such an elite soldier is definitely not a thing in the pool.

"Hu Xiaolian has seen all the Suzhou fathers! There was a lot of slacking before, please Haihan! ”

Hu Rui straightened his clothes, snapped upright, and saluted.

"I've seen Hu Dashuai! Come on, come on, Suzhou has recovered, it's all your own family, don't be restrained, I don't know if the handsome can change and move to the city? Cheng Dudu has been waiting for a long time for a good banquet! ”

Wu Tingfang, Minister of Internal Affairs, stood up with a smile and invited, this is also the task given to him by Cheng Dequan.

"Xiaolian is here to thank Governor Cheng Dedu for his kind invitation, but unfortunately Xiaolian is in the military, and I am afraid that I will be guilty. Why don't you get in the car? There are also some dragon wells before the rain, just to entertain VIPs! ”

Hu Rui accompanied the smiling face and waved his hand.

Wu Tingfang and the others looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Obviously, Hu Rui's answer was very unexpected to them, and he actually refused under Tai Chi. Thinking of Cheng Dequan's instructions before, everyone was a little at a loss. Although after the Anhui army captured Nanjing, it passed through Wuxi and Changzhou along the way, and it was an absolute civilized army. But this tiger and wolf army, which could effortlessly wipe out more than 20,000 defenders of Nanjing City in half a day, everyone still instinctively retreated. Immediately didn't dare to persuade again, and looked at Zhang Qian who took the lead in embarrassment.

As he was talking, a German staff officer wearing a winter coat of army green breeches unique to the Anhui Army came at a trot with a telegram. In front of everyone, he stood up and saluted, and handed the telegram to Hu Rui with respectful hands. Then he stood on the sidelines.

"Fathers, I'm really sorry. Thank you for your deep friendship, the military situation has changed, and the responsibility for the crime is high! ”

Hu Rui arched his hand and apologized. The German staff officer next to him stood by like a javelin, without any slackness.

Everyone present was in an uproar again, it seems that this will make foreigners so obedient in my country for my use, I am afraid that only this Hu Dashuai is the only one. At that moment, they didn't dare to delay any longer, and everyone elected Zhang Qian as a representative in unison, and went to the army to discuss in detail. The rest of the people hurriedly handed over all kinds of labor and army materials and returned to Suzhou.

"In that case, then the old decay will bother!"

Zhang Qian also beat the snake and put the stick, and he agreed to it. He went up to the army with two servants. Hu Rui personally led Zhang Xun and his entourage into the car and led them to the carriage where the headquarters was located.

"Ji Zhilao, I'm slacking! Come to someone to serve tea, to go to haode dragon well before the rain! And please sit wide, filial piety will come. ”

Hu Rui confessed his guilt and hurried to the back of the telegraph car with the telegram.

The tea was quickly delivered, and it was indeed on the haode dragon well before the rain. There was nothing to do left and right, Zhang Qian looked at the carriage while sipping tea. In the middle there is a folding table filled with all kinds of documents and maps. Behind the desk hangs a huge map of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the towns along the Shanghai-Nanjing railway line pass through at a glance. There are several leather couches on both sides, and a few small coffee tables in front of the sofa. The whole carriage couldn't be simpler, but the detailed map made Zhang Qian sigh secretly that the Anhui army was fully prepared.

The tea was renewed, and Hu Rui also returned.

"Neglect the two!"

Hu Rui apologized and sat down on the sofa opposite Zhang Qian.

"Elder Ji Zhi, what is the send, but it doesn't hurt to say it. Xiaolian must do his best! ”

Hu Rui took a sip of tea and went straight to the road.

Although it was a scene, Zhang Qian sighed secretly, this face is enough.

"This is a bill of exchange of two million yuan, which was given by Cheng Dudu to express his condolences to your brothers. The British controlled the Yangtze River Valley, and after the Wuchang Uprising, the British strictly controlled the import of arms into the Yangtze River Valley. Jiangsu was recovered, and all kinds of ruins were waiting to be rebuilt, and Hu Dashuai was also asked to support a batch of arms. ”

Zhang Qian directly took out a two-million-yuan bill of exchange from his sleeve and put it on the coffee table and said.

"Business is business, friendship is friendship, not to be confused."

Hu Rui raised his eyebrows and pushed the bill of exchange back, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Good! I wonder how much ordnance the marshal has? How much does it cost? ”

Zhang Qian didn't answer, gritted his teeth and took out a two-million yuan bill of exchange from his sleeve and put it on the coffee table and asked.

"Zhang Mingyuan, how many rifles are still in our army's inventory?"

Hu Rui immediately turned his head sideways and asked.

"Yes! Report to the chief instructor At present, there are 230,000 1888 rifles in the warehouses of the German original factory committee, including 200,000 improved ones! In addition, 20,000 self-produced and imported Mauser 98 rifles were produced. The old 7.92 round head bullet has 4 million bullets, and the new style has 6 million pointed bullets! ”

Quartermaster Zhang Mingda snapped up and reported.

"The expansion of our army is imminent, and the number of existing Mauser 98 rifles is insufficient, and they will not be considered for sale for the time being. The unmodified Commission 1888 rifle costs 100 yuan a piece, and each gun comes with 150 round-headed round-headed rounds; The modified Commission 1888 rifle costs 130 yuan a piece, and each gun comes with 100 rounds of new pointed bullets. All of them are made in Germany, and the quality can be assured. I don't know which one Ji Zhilao fell in love with? ”

Hu Rui tried his best to hold back a laugh, glanced at the two bills of exchange on the table, and offered his own price.

"Originating in Germany, unmodified, 20,000 branches!"

Zhang Qian weighed it for a moment and replied decisively. The price was acceptable, and there was no expected heavy bleeding. As soon as the guns rang out, there were 10,000 taels of gold. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are located in the Yangtze River valley, suffering from the blockade of the British, and now even if you have money, you can't buy arms! I can't make it myself, it's a blessing to be able to buy it with money, where is the qualification to bargain!

"Puff ~ cough cough cough...... Well, happy! Shipping costs are also included, and each gun will be given another fifty round-headed bullets to make up a whole number! By the way, do you want the German-origin Grussen 57 mountain gun? ”