Volume 1 Teacher Chapter 36: Entering Xi'an (Part 2)
Chen Shufan rode on his horse with a proud look on his face. He had not yet heard about the ambush between Xianyang and Xingping yesterday afternoon. The respectful telegram from Dai Jiliang last night made him even more complacent, so everything was proceeding according to the predetermined script.
He took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. It was already seven o'clock in the morning of May 18, 1916. Chen Shufan would surely remember this glorious moment for the rest of his life.
The son of an Ankang silk merchant who graduated from the Baoding Crash Course Department walked contentedly amid the waves of welcome from the whole city, enjoying the thousands of golden threads sprinkled down by the rising fireball under the cloudless blue sky, which spread over his body, bringing warm warmth and a strange power, which made Chen Shufan feel as great as a god.
"Report to the Commander-in-Chief!"
Suddenly, the team stopped and Chen Shufan realized that they had arrived at Changle Gate. He looked carefully and found that it was He Oucai, dressed in the uniform of a Beiyang Army colonel, who was respectfully reporting to him. In a short while, this confidant of Lu Jianzhang had become a lapdog who shook his head and begged for mercy from him, which made him, who was already ambitious, even more complacent.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the Xi'an Garrison Regiment has been ordered to hand over the defense of Xi'an to you."
As he spoke, He Oucai waved his hand, and several unarmed Beiyang soldiers lined up and ran towards their garrison in the city.
Chen Shufan nodded in satisfaction. His confidant Cui Shiqing gave a slight signal, and a row of soldiers from the Fourth Brigade stood at the original Beiyang Army sentry posts.
"Commander-in-chief, Xi'an has convened a welcoming meeting at the Advisory Council. Please come and preside over it."
After seeing that the formal change of defense was initially completed, He Ou reported to Chen Shufan with a flattering smile.
"When will Lu Jianzhang leave?"
According to the prior agreement, Lu Jianzhang and his family will be escorted out of Tongguan today. Of course, if they want to take away the official baggage worth more than 40 million yuan, they have to exchange it for a telegram.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Lu Jianzhang will depart from the Eight Immortals Temple at 8:30 on time. At that time, my unit and the Fourth Brigade will each send a company to escort him out of Shaanxi."
He Oucai certainly knew what the new master of Xi'an was thinking. He stepped forward and handed him a piece of manuscript paper.
"This is the telegram that Lu Jianzhang asked me to pass on. Please review it, Commander-in-Chief."
Chen Shufan took the thin manuscript from the guard, scanned it, and found that Lu Jianzhang had recommended him as the successor to the governor of Shaanxi as promised, so he nodded with satisfaction.
"Send it out immediately!"
In fact, it doesn’t matter if Lu Jianzhang’s manuscript is missing. There were few forged signatures in the telegrams of the Republic of China. But since Lu Jianzhang kept his promise, it’s even better.
"Shiqing, wait a moment. Please send a telegram to the whole nation for me to announce that I will take over the post of governor of Shaanxi."
After giving these two instructions, Chen Shufan still felt that he was not satisfied, so he gave the order to He Oucai.
"Order all sectors of the provincial capital to see Lu Jianzhang off."
Of course, Chen Shufan's action was not out of kindness, and his next sentence revealed his true intention.
"Let the people of Shaanxi see the consequences of Lu Jianzhang's heavy taxes and plunder."
After saying that, he laughed and drove his horse forward. Suddenly, gongs and drums sounded, firecrackers rang out, and the welcoming crowd threw flowers and confetti. Amid the cheers, Chen Shufan felt like he was floating in the air, as if everything was under his control.
"Old He."
Cui Shiqing stopped He Oucai who wanted to follow Chen Shufan into the city with one hand.
"Don't leave in such a hurry. What's the matter, Lao He? Have you forgotten?"
"Ouch, look at me!"
He Oucai slapped his forehead.
"Come on! Quickly, take Captain Cui's men to take over the provincial treasury and various departments."
After these words were spoken, Cui Shiqing's face looked a little better, but what He Oucai said next made him smile completely.
"Tonight, I'm hosting a banquet at Chunhualou. I'll have the best prostitute in Xi'an to accompany me, and I'll also give you a small gift. If you don't come, you'll be giving me no face!"
"Old He, you are so polite. Let's go into the city."
Cui Shiqing held He Oucai's half body with one hand. This intimate look made people who didn't know the situation think that the two had known each other for many years...
"Kill him! Kill Butcher Lu!"
Antiques, opium, calligraphy and paintings, furs, treasures, looking at the Lu family's properties arranged in a long row, countless Xi'an citizens who were watching were furious. Lu Jianzhang had been the governor of Shaanxi for only two years, but he had taken in more wealth than the total tax revenue of Shaanxi in three years. This was all the people's blood and sweat, so they turned around and threw tiles and rotten vegetable leaves at them like raindrops.
"Pity!"
On the third floor of a teahouse in the distance, Chen Shufan smacked his lips.
"This is tens of millions, it's a bargain for that old dog Lu Jianzhang."
If it were not for the purpose of avoiding the intensification of the conflict with the Beiyang government, Chen Shufan might have seized the wealth openly. However, thinking of the Beiyang troops that might swarm in, he decided to give up.
"Let's go to the Advisory Council. The world is ours now."
Just as Chen Shufan was about to leave, a huge noise came over him like a shock wave.
"what happened?"
Chen Shufan frowned, held onto the teahouse fence, and looked into the distance.
"Governor, it seems that the common people pushed Lu Jianzhang's family into the gutter on the side of the road."
Some clever ones went down to find out clearly in the morning and then came back to report.
“It’s really satisfying!”
"Very gratifying?"
Chen Shufan's brows were furrowed into a shape of a "川" (river).
“Nonsense!”
He didn't even bother to look at the hangers-on who were trying to flatter him and just gave orders directly.
"Where's the police chief? What are you doing standing there? Why don't you send someone to maintain order?"
"Yes Yes."
The fat director ran out with unusual agility, rolling and crawling.
"Alright, everyone. I will go ahead first."
Seeing the police outside trying their best to stop the crowd, Chen Shufan nodded with satisfaction. Fortunately, his plan was not ruined by this group of rioters.
"See you at the Advisory Council..."
The night is deep, and Xi'an, which has been bustling all day, has fallen into a deep sleep. Of course, today is a little special.
Some mysterious characters are still active.
"Lao Cui, let's have another drink together. You will have a bright future, so remember to help your brother.
Lao Cui, Lao Cui, what's wrong? You're drunk, no way, you can't drink so much, come and have another drink.
No way, I'm really drunk."
He Oucai coldly pushed Cui Shiqing, who was sleeping soundly in front of him, and nodded to the woman beside him.
"Xiao Taohong, you must entertain Captain Cui well tonight."
The charming prostitute threw a wink, nodded, twisted her waist, and together with the maid beside her, helped the heavy Cui and walked towards her own boudoir step by step.
"Master, why are you sleeping? The night is long. How can you bear to let me stay alone?"
"It would be better if I could sleep soundly."
He Oucai picked up the glass of wine as if to build up his courage, drank it all, sat quietly for a while, took out the pocket watch from his arms and looked at it.
"It's already two in the morning."
He Oucai stood up suddenly, pushed open the door and walked out. When he reached the outside of the brothel, several fully armed security officers were already standing in front of him.
"Has Commander Dai arrived yet?"
"I just contacted you fifteen minutes ago. The people from the Second Brigade have already arrived at Andingmen and Xiaonanmen."
"Can we control these two doors?"
He Oucai continued to ask.
"Have the people from the Fourth Brigade taken over been dealt with?"
"Don't worry, Commander. Those good-for-nothings in the Fourth Brigade would have gone to see Master Zhou Gong long ago after drinking a few cups of horse urine."
"Don't be careless, this concerns the lives and property of our brothers."
He Oucai made a gesture.
“Kill them all!”
After saying that, He Ou took the belt and tied it on himself.
"Open the city gates and let us welcome the second brigade."
The rustling sound of footsteps woke up many sleepy citizens in Xi'an. Through the gaps in the window paper, people saw a large group of soldiers marching quietly.
With the guidance of the local security regiment, the Second Brigade quickly completed the blockade and control of various key points in Xi'an City.
"Has the encirclement of the Shaanxi Army been completed?"
Dai Jiliang walked into the forward command post, opposite which was the Shaanxi Governor's Mansion where Chen Shufan had just moved in.
"Brigade Commander Zhang led one brigade and one regiment to surround two regiments and the artillery of the Fourth Brigade in the West Barracks, while Li Debiao's troops surrounded half a regiment and 3,000 militiamen in the East Barracks."
Zhang Zilii had exchanged information with He Oucai early in the morning, and he pointed to the map of Xi'an he had just obtained.
"Chen Shufan is very cautious. There are nearly a regiment of soldiers around the Governor's Office. We don't have enough manpower, so it's difficult to deal with it!"
Dai Jiliang's troops had only three regiments, and all of them except for one company left behind in Xianyang had been deployed. He Oucai's Xi'an Garrison Regiment not only had to assist Zhang and Li in encircling the east and west barracks, but also had to control the city gates of Xi'an and various key points. Only half of the battalion could be withdrawn as the only reserve. With the disadvantage in terms of troop strength, the difficulty of this battle can be imagined.
"Then use artillery fire!"
Dai Jiliang unbuttoned his collar. If he did not act decisively while leading a small number of soldiers into a large territory, he would be killed without a burial place.
"Even if we destroy Xi'an, as long as we win, no one will dare to say a word."
Might is right, and this principle is universal in the world and in China.
"It will take at least another half an hour for Deng Chaoqun and Sheng Chun to arrive."
"Then wait half an hour."
This is a matter of life and death in half an hour, Dai Jiliang gritted his teeth.
"Notify Brigade Commander Zhang and Regimental Commander Li that no shots are allowed to be fired until the battle at the Governor's Office begins."
During this unbearable half hour, everyone felt like they were living a year in a day and were on pins and needles.
In order to distract attention, Dai Jiliang asked He Oucai.
"Brother Guangfu, where do you think Lu Jianzhang should be now?"
"The people have probably been sent to Huayin, and the property has at most reached Weinan."
He Oucai stroked the moustache that was popular at that time and glanced at Dai Jiliang thoughtfully.
"Why, do you want to seize this property?"
"It's tens of millions. It would be a lie to say I don't want it."
Dai Jiliang shook his head.
"But Lu Jianzhang has done me a favor. Besides, why would I, Dai, do something that even the Democratic Party wouldn't do?"
Dai Jiliang sighed. The intensity of condemnation for ungratefulness in this era is by no means comparable to the money-oriented society in the previous life where people did not care about their relatives. Once one's reputation is ruined, it will be difficult to do business in the future.
"How about this, after we take Xi'an, we'll wait a day and then send a message to the whole country, so that Lu Jianzhang can leave Shaanxi first."
“That’s as it should be.”
Everyone knew that Dai Jiliang was determined to become the King of Shaanxi, and no one would be so tactless as to want the former governor to stay and embarrass him.
"Brigade Commander, Deng Chaoqun and his team are here."
When the conversation finally came to an end, in the unbearable silence, an excited voice dispelled the uneasiness in everyone's hearts.
"Order to attack immediately!"
At the command, the ancient city suddenly boiled over.
