Volume 2: Famous all over the world Chapter 8: The Secret War Begins
Dai Tianchou's interview began with shouting and explosions. After spending a night with the veterans, all 133 young men from Nanjing Army Normal School stayed. Although they were all future army officers, they were still rookies. Yang Qiu directly assigned them to various platoons to be baptized by blood and fire. This was cruel and would result in sacrifices, but it was the only way to make them grow up quickly.
Apart from the still sharp artillery, the offensive momentum of the Beiyang infantry was obviously curbed. Even the grassroots officers seemed to have been wilted by several days of fierce fighting. The intensity of the battle was suddenly weakened a lot, which allowed Wang Zhuo and others to gradually adapt.
In the eyes of Yang Qiu and the veterans, it was only a low-intensity war, but it made Dai Tianchou pale. The explosions one after another and the close-range explosions made him very scared. He realized that war was so terrible.
"Don't worry, this is a blind spot for artillery shells." Yang Qiu gave him the high-legged goggles. The world in the lenses was even more terrifying. The flames and yellow smoke from the exploding shells flowed over the three passes. Soldiers were blown away by the falling shells from time to time, their flesh and blood were blurred. The explosion made the entire position fall into silence. Most of the soldiers were still hiding in the attack positions, and only a few medical soldiers were running back and forth to rescue their comrades on the front line.
"What did you see?"
"Explosions and death, but also the soldiers' perseverance!" Dai Tianchou, who picked up the paper and pen, was no longer timid. Even Yang Qiu admired this and said with a smile: "Do you know what I saw?"
"I saw a new life! I saw the future!"
Yang Qiu said firmly: "The American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe made two powerful countries stand up. Today it is our turn! Death and blood are painful, but looking at history, the strength of a country and a nation is often accompanied by war. The shells are sharp, the smoke is full of poison, and the flames burn our bodies black, but we are firm in our beliefs and we are fearless! This country has suffered too much humiliation, and now we need a voice!"
Dai Tianchou quickly wrote down this paragraph and asked: "Commander, not only I, but the whole country has a question. You are the last Baturu of the Qing Dynasty, and the Sichuan Incident happened. Why did you suddenly turn against the Qing Dynasty's self-founded National Defense Right Route Army?"
"Baturu is a title awarded to warriors by the Qing government. Zhang Biao, the commander of the Eight Towns, was also Baturu before, but I am different! I don't know if I am a warrior, but I know one thing better than him... I am a Chinese!" Yang Qiu took a deep breath, turned his head and walked to the observation window, looking at the smoke-filled Guancheng and said slowly: "The truth about Sichuan will be made public one day . I don't want to say anything more. Anyway, it's not what you imagined! As for creating a self-created army?... I don't know who is spreading rumors. The Right Route Army was established with the permission of Governor Li. From the first day of its birth, it was to overthrow the rule of the Qing Dynasty and revive China!"
"Commander Yang, I heard on the way here that there was a conflict between the Left and Right Route Armies. Is this true?"
“Turn your head, feel with your eyes and heart, and don't believe the so-called rumors.” Yang Qiu swept his finger and pointed at the soldiers in the artillery fire. Dai Tianchou looked in the direction where his finger pointed, and saw soldiers rushing out of the attack positions with determined looks. Among them were the right-wing soldiers wearing Flying Tiger armbands and the left-wing soldiers wearing dark blue uniforms. There was no hesitation, no delay. Everyone trusted each other and fired side by side.
This was a vivid picture of war, which shattered the rumors in everyone's mind. Dai Tianchou was also secretly moved and said with shame: "I'm sorry, Commander Yang, I..."
"It doesn't matter. We are in an era of great change. There will always be voices that will undermine and hinder our determination to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. As long as we learn to distinguish, all rumors will become lies that are ridiculed."
"Commander Yang, I have another question. This time the Qing Dynasty sent the most elite Beiyang New Army, which is three times the number of the eight regiments of the Hubei Army! Although we have recruited a lot of new soldiers, the Qing court is also mobilizing more troops from the north to the south. Can we..." Before Dai Tianchou finished speaking, Yang Qiu's expression suddenly became resolute, and his tone was unusually firm and interrupted him: "There is no can or can't! We are still stationed here! We have killed 3,000 of the so-called most elite Beiyang! We haven't lost an inch of land! I know that we can't stay here forever, and the enemy's artillery fire will tear our bodies apart, but... even if we leave, we will come back soon! This is not for us, nor for Hubei, but for all the people in the world who stand up straight and don't want to be slaves of the Qing Dynasty!"
"Do you see that battle flag?" Following the finger, Dai Tianchou saw the Flying Tiger battle flag fluttering in the wind in the distance. In the dazzling flash, Yang Qiu's tone was more confident and flamboyant than ever before: "As long as it doesn't fall, we will die here. This is our promise, the oath of the National Defense Force! Remember today, what you see is not just a flag, but the beginning of a new era!"
"The Beiyang army is very strong. I don't want to hide my inner worries. As of yesterday, we have more than 2,000 brave soldiers who have fallen in a pool of blood for their ideals and for this country!"
"But I want to tell you that we haven't failed yet! And we will never fail! Because we are stronger than them! Because we have a firm heart! I want to appeal, through your pen and words, to young people like you. It doesn't matter if you can't hold a gun, and it doesn't matter if you can't come to join the war. Now, it's now! Use your mouth, use your pen, and tell the people around you that a new era will begin with this flag! Put down all the empty talk, and stop arguing! Hoes can produce more food, machine tools can make more tools, and what is needed now is for everyone to do their job! Use your hands to work hard. This country needs countless young people with aspirations to build and protect it together!"
"Just like the soldiers covered by artillery fire at this moment, they have not read much and are considered peasants in the eyes of many people, but they are real soldiers and fighters! Their duty is to use their young lives and blood to guard the towering and unyielding backbone of China!" Yang Qiu raised his right arm high, his eyes shining, a confident and determined smile on his face. The wrinkled and bloody military uniform made Dai Tianchou, who always interviewed those well-dressed revolutionaries, suddenly feel a palpitation he had never felt before.
At the same age, when many people are enjoying life in bustling cities, when everyone is sitting at desks and dining tables talking about revolution and the future, some people have already picked up guns, using their blood and lives to defend national dignity and to create a bright future for this suffering country. What words can describe it?
Sonorous words, a tall figure standing in the smoke, like the majestic and unshakable Kunlun, what could be more convincing than this picture? Dai Tianchou quickly pressed the shutter, and in the flickering lights, a tall and slender figure was frozen under the military flag and the smoke.
Powerful words, passionate photos! A wonderful interview was born in the gunfire and smoke. Under the protection of a squad of cavalry, Dai Tianchou rushed to the Xiaochang Telegraph Station in the rear with excitement, but he didn't know that Yang Qiu's face had turned very dark.
…
The British Concession in Hankou was crowded with people. As Wusheng Pass was in danger, more and more people came to the concession to seek refuge. The Jardine Matheson Company dock was filled with people trying to leave on a British river ship.
The sound of the motor attracted a lot of attention. When they saw that it was just a small steamer, everyone left. As the rope was tied to the dock, a man in a blue shirt jumped ashore with two followers. After the British sailors finished their inspection, they quickly walked towards the French Concession.
The two followers seemed a little nervous. They breathed a sigh of relief after turning a corner and hearing no more voices. They saw the house number clearly and knocked on the side door.
"Zhu Xin! You are finally here."
Tang Hualong stood up immediately , who also came over to greet him: "Zhang Wenjing greets Lord Tang."
The person who came was the Navy Chief of Staff Tang Xingming. He received a letter from Tang Hualong after the Navy arrived in Yangluo. However, the management of Sa Zhenbing was very strict and did not allow the Navy officers and soldiers to leave the ship, so he did not come here until today, taking advantage of the shortage of supplies on the ship to purchase supplies.
"Brother, I can't stay any longer. Brother Zhang, please make it short."
Tang Xiangming was of medium build, thin, neatly dressed, and had a strong bookish air. He also spoke very concisely, but Yang Qiu had warned him that he might not be as he seemed. He had joined the Tongmenghui when he was studying in France, and after regretting it, he actually colluded with others to steal Sun Yat-sen's briefcase and list of names. He was ostracized by his classmates after feeling ashamed, he switched to studying in the British Navy. So he took out a check for 100,000 and put it on the table: "The commander hopes that you can lead the navy brothers to revolt. This is the activity fund for you. After the success, we guarantee to support Minister Tang as the Minister of Civil Affairs of the founding of the country, and support Lord Tang as the Chief of the Navy. If you have other requests, you can also make them."
Tang Xiangming did not reach out his hand. He was a man with a strong desire for power, but not very keen on money. So he squinted at the check and said, "Brother Zhang, are you kidding? Do you think that a mere Yangtze River can satisfy the navy? Besides, I, brother, can't convince those Fujianese."
He did not lie. After arriving in Yangluo, he received letters of rebellion from Li Yuanhong and Tang Hualong. Although he was the chief of staff, he was not actually a top figure in the navy. Not to mention those captains who held real power, Sa Zhenbing's prestige in the navy alone was enough to ensure that as long as he did not nod, any rebellious behavior would be strangled. Even if Sa Zhenbing had clearly expressed his unwillingness to fight, he would not be willing to hand over the navy to an inland province, so it was not easy to get the money.
Zhang Wenjing had heard about the Fujian Navy gang banding together to exclude outsiders. Yang Qiu had explained this to him the night before he went to the front line. He immediately said, "Don't worry, sir. My commander is in Hubei, far away from the seaport! Besides, we can't support the navy. The brothers just want to borrow the navy's artillery temporarily. After this battle, not to mention that the navy must be returned intact to Lord Tang, even the three ships we have now must be returned together."
Tang Hualong was the most anxious one nearby. After Sun Wu became stronger, he had obviously excluded others, so he was unwilling to miss this opportunity to deepen his relationship with Yang Qiu. What's more, what Zhang Wenjing said was not wrong. Although the Yangtze River can also be used for naval warships, it is not a long-term thing after all. No matter how powerful Yang Qiu is, it is impossible for him to develop to Jiangsu and Zhejiang overnight. The navy is not the army. It only needs a foothold. Not only does it require money, but it also needs bases, docks and other support. Without these things, it is impossible to control the navy. So he immediately persuaded: "Zhu Xin, the survival of Hubei is now at stake, and Governor Li is also very anxious about this matter. You see..."
Tang Xiangming didn't know that Hubei was in a tight spot. Although the battle at Wusheng Pass was fierce, once the pass was breached, Xiaogan would be impossible to defend. After passing Xiaogan, the navy could provide full firepower support. So he thought about it and asked, "I can only control a few warships at most. The rest..."
"As long as you can allow our brothers to board the ship..."
"Absolutely not!" Tang Xingming stood up immediately. The navy was controlled by Fujianese, who were usually very xenophobic. If outsiders boarded the ship and caused bloodshed, it would definitely be detrimental to his future. So he immediately refused, "The navy is not like the army. Once they board the ship, it's like surrendering. What's more, Commander Sa is still on board. If he...!"
"Master Tang has misunderstood. How could my commander possibly harm the lives of our navy brothers and Commander Sa? We are ready..." Zhang Wenjing explained the method of controlling the navy in detail, and suddenly raised his voice: "Once this is accomplished, Master Tang, you will be a national hero!"
"National hero?!" Tang Xingming glanced at the check on the table and felt moved for the first time.
