Volume 1 Wuchang Vortex Chapter 40 The Storm is Coming
Could this living Buddha smell something? But if he did, why would he transfer the engineering team and the baggage team to his command, thus increasing his own military strength in disguise?
Have you been keeping a low profile recently? You didn't tear down Xiaochao Street, nor did you raise a big flag. You didn't even tattoo the Qingming Festival on Wei Jue's left foot and the Chongyang Festival on his right foot! You didn't even turn the gears of history. Why would you say this?
After leaving the command post, Yang Qiu kept thinking about what Li Yuanhong had just said. He didn't even hear the shouts behind him. It was not until Bingwen pulled the corner of his clothes that he realized Xiao Anguo and Ma Kui had caught up with him. He hurriedly asked, "Two brothers, why are you here?"
"It's all because of Nanhu's trouble." Xiao Anguo sighed. Ma Kui beside him said, "Zhang Biao got very angry for some reason just now. He withdrew the commander of the Third Artillery Battalion and ordered all battalions to collect ammunition starting tomorrow morning. Except for the on-duty troops and officers who can keep some bullets, all other bullets must be handed in."
"Brother, this is not a good thing. Although I am in charge of Chuwangtai, the situation is so tense now... I am afraid we can't get bullets. Have you asked over there? When will Shen Shukai be able to come back? I feel empty without bullets. What if something happens..." Xiao Anguo probably felt that he was too long-winded, so he stopped talking and sighed again.
After being reminded by him, Yang Qiu also secretly worried, and regretted letting Shen Shukai go to purchase it alone. After all, it was millions of dollars, and there were so many weapons. What if he was tempted by the money, or leaked the news? Not having this batch of arms would not affect the first step, but the second step would be too dangerous!
Ma Kui didn't notice his expression and snorted coldly: "What idiots! The more we should trust the soldiers at this time, the more we should trust them. But they actually ordered the ammunition to be confiscated. This clearly shows that they don't trust us. We are already angry about the salary issue, and the officers usually beat and scold us. I'm afraid you are right this time, brother Hu..."
Seeing Yang Qiu was slow to speak, Xiao Anguo immediately rolled up his sleeves and said, "There is no point in saying more. Whether it is the rebels or the soldiers, without bullets, the gun is just a burnt stick. In my opinion, we might as well just go for it and steal a few dozen boxes from the warehouse first."
"No!" Seeing that Xiao Anguo was getting anxious, Yang Qiu hurriedly stopped him. Seeing that no one was paying attention to this place, he quickly said, "Two brothers, let's meet at the baggage camp tonight."
When they heard that Yang Qiu was going back to the baggage camp to discuss, they knew that they would definitely have to show their cards and make important arrangements! So they stopped talking nonsense, laughed dryly a few times to cover up their tracks, and then went back to their camps.
After saying goodbye to the two, Yang Qiu did not return to the camp immediately. Instead, he and Bingwen quietly took a small path to the house given to him by Shen Shukai. Manager Dong, who had been here all the time, was also very happy to see him. Only Bingwen was secretly shocked. He did not expect that Yang Qiu already had his own mansion only one month after returning from Sichuan.
"Shopkeeper Dong, Miss Miao's injury..."
"Don't worry, sir. He's much better now. The doctor said the wound has begun to shed its scabs, and the damaged bones and muscles have recovered well. I estimate that he will be well in a few days." Although he lost his job in Chengdu because of him, he escaped a disaster by accident. Moreover, Yang Qiu exchanged millions of dollars plus a shipload of arms with just a few pieces of paper. Manager Dong admired him so much that he gave up and served here. Seeing that Yang Qiu kept looking upstairs, he smiled and said, "Miss Miao just fell asleep not long ago. Do you want me to go..."
"No need." Yang Qiu waved his hand and said, "I'm not here to see her today. I have something to discuss with you."
"I dare not . Manager Shen said before he left that if you need anything, just ask." Seeing that Yang Qiu looked unhappy, Manager Dong quickly dismissed the servants who were waiting on the side and said, "Give me your orders..."
"Manager Dong, is there any news about Manager Shen?"
Seeing his expression, Manager Dong guessed a little bit and was secretly anxious. However, the telegram sent by Shen Shukai yesterday also made some sense. He quickly said, "Don't worry, Mr. Yang, Manager Shen has already set off."
"Okay..." Yang Qiu was stunned for a moment after hearing what Manager Dong said. His bottom sank and he knew something was wrong. However, He Shengyuan and Shen Shukai were very important to him now, so he couldn't lose face. He could only swallow his suspicion and said softly, "That's good... I won't hide it from you. Something happened in the Nanhu Artillery Camp just now. Several soldiers snatched guns and escaped from the camp. They also said wildly that the rebels would start an uprising in Wuchang within half a month!"
Manager Dong's face fell. The previous riot in Chengdu had caused Heshengyuan a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and several employees died. If Wuchang, where a large army was stationed, were to riot, it would be terrible.
Seeing that Manager Dong looked nervous, Yang Qiu comforted him, "You don't have to be too nervous. Yang Qiu cannot protect Wuchang City, but he is still somewhat confident of Hankou and Hanyang. Evacuate the finance and personnel who can, and be sure not to leak the news! In addition, you can't stay here, you need to go to Hankou as soon as possible, or just go to my place."
"I'm not going to Hanyang..." As he was speaking, a cold snort came from the small building. Yang Qiu turned his head and saw Miao Luo wearing a loose silk skirt, with long hair draped over her shoulders, holding a cane and staring at him coldly.
"Miss Miao, why did you come out?"
Yang Qiu quickly helped her downstairs and said, "Hanyang is my territory, I..."
"No need to say more, I'm going to Hankou!" Miao Luo didn't give Yang Qiu any chance, interrupted and said: " Kill the Tartars on August 15th! This is our great cause to restore the Han Dynasty. It is an opportunity that Mr. Song and Mr. Sun Yat-sen led thousands of heroes to shed blood and sacrifice! Yang Qiu! If you want to play tricks? I will not let you go even if I turn into a ghost!"
Yang Qiu's face changed slightly. He didn't expect that this stubborn girl would be so protective of the party members. Now that she is imprisoned, she still doesn't forget to threaten him. If she knows what I really think in the future, will she...
Shopkeeper Dong, who was standing nearby, was afraid that things would get awkward, so he quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir. We have more than a hundred people in the Hanyang branch, and we will definitely see to it that Miss Miao is fine."
Yang Qiu put aside all distracting thoughts. Even if it was a life-and-death fight in a few days, he had no intention of fighting for any greater cause. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Miao Luo's right hand, which stunned Bingwen, who was on guard nearby, and wondered what the relationship between the two was.
Miao Luo never expected that Yang Qiu would be so bold that he dared to flirt with him in broad daylight in front of others. His cheeks immediately flushed with shame, but his hands were held tightly and he could not pull them out. So, regardless of his foot injury, he was ready to hit him with his crutch, but before he could move, he felt something cold stuffed into his palm, and when he looked down, it was his lost pistol.
"Ms. Miao, you are a sensible girl and the bravest girl I have ever met, but I still want to remind you not to do stupid things and not to be fooled by what you see. Eyes can be deceiving sometimes!" Yang Qiu said, and then took out a purse and handed it to her: "I will be very busy during this period, I am afraid I may not be able to come. Shopkeeper Dong and his family are old and it is inconvenient for them. Please keep the 50 bullets here, so that you can protect him in case of any trouble."
Shopkeeper Dong didn't expect that Yang Qiu would still think of him at this critical moment. His old eyes suddenly turned red, but before he could say anything, Yang Qiu had already stuffed a few pieces of paper in his hand and said, "There are some things in here. Please help me prepare them while the outside world is still relatively peaceful. I will send someone to pick them up in a few days. I will have someone send a few guns tomorrow. You can find a few caring people to protect yourself. In addition... please find a way to contact Manager Shen and ask him where he is. I need them urgently."
"Don't worry, sir. We have got the stuff. But in order to conceal our whereabouts, the ship needs to circle around the sea before returning. He said it should arrive in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"Mid-Autumn Festival, I hope we can make it in time..." Even after hearing the guarantee , Yang Qiu was still a little worried. If such a large batch of arms were to be inspected, it would not just be a matter of losing a few heads. Moreover, if they could not arrive before the Yangxia battle, they would inevitably be blocked on the Yangtze River by the navy led by Sa Zhenbing.
Miao Luo, who was standing by, heard Yang Qiu getting more and more nervous. He didn't know why his heart started to tighten, but he couldn't bring himself to ask could only snort coldly, "Hmph, do you want me to talk to them and tell them not to kill you, a traitor, after the uprising?"
"Ms. Miao..." Yang Qiu smiled slightly, took a deep breath, and his face became resolute. He looked at her and said seriously, "There were many misunderstandings between you and me in the past. Today, I don't want to explain anything. Yang Qiu just wants to tell you that I am not a running dog or a traitor. I am just a soldier. My responsibility is to protect this prosperous place and the people here. If anyone dares to hurt them, I will kill him even if I am thousands of miles away!"
The sonorous and powerful words shocked Miao Luo and Shopkeeper Dong. Before they could say anything, Yang Qiu had already walked out with Bingwen.
Looking at the tall figure disappearing behind the shadows of the trees, Miao Luo's heart ached and she tightly clenched the pistol in her hand, thinking of how Yang Qiu would come to see her every now and then during this period of time, chatting with her, telling her stories to amuse her, and then thinking of the day when he ripped open his pants to treat his wounds, and thinking of the "comrade" who shot him in order to save his life, her eyes suddenly turned red for no reason, tears welled up in her eyes, and she lay on the small table and sobbed.
Manager Dong didn't know how to persuade her, so he sighed, "Young lady, don't say that the old man is nagging. I have seen countless people with my eyes in my life, but no one can compare to this Lord Yang. He is definitely going to do something big this time! So you... should have told him to be careful just now."
The old shopkeeper's words made Miao Luo even more at a loss, and he could only stomp his feet and go back upstairs.
After walking out of the narrow alleys, a tense atmosphere began to spread on the main streets. There was a guard post every three steps and a sentry every five steps. Teams of soldiers from the city patrol camp armed with live ammunition came and went checking on everyone. The smell of an impending storm was overwhelming.
After the young students finished their inspection and walked a few steps, they spat at the bandit-like patrolling soldiers from behind: "Running dogs!"
These two short words made his heart clench. Looking at the hateful eyes of the students as they left, he suddenly couldn't figure out whether what he did was right or wrong. For that ray of light, he was willing to give his life, but what if... he still failed?
The Beiyang government, which is known as the number one in the north, the alliance between Yuan Shikai and Feng Guozhang will be far more suffocating than the anxiety that is now filling the city. Can he keep the three beautiful and prosperous towns of the Han River?
