A Romantic Detective in the Qing Dynasty [Complete] - 15

In Chapter 5 of Episode 5, the talented Wenwen,

I hadn't even stayed in Anda for two days when Yan'er called, urging me to return immediately. She said the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, which she was establishing, were holding simultaneous ceremonies, and I absolutely had to attend, plus she said she had a surprise for me.

The competition between nations, simply put, is a competition of comprehensive national strength, and the improvement of comprehensive national strength mainly depends on the advancement of science and technology. This, in turn, involves who possesses a large number of advanced scientific and technological talents! My rapid development in recent years has been thanks to my two beautiful wives. They brought advanced 21st-century science and technology to the Qing Dynasty, enabling the Qing Dynasty's weaponry and other technologies to leap to a world-leading position. However, their areas of expertise were limited, and there were no materials to learn from or draw upon, which led to many insurmountable difficulties in later technological development. For example, we were stuck in aircraft manufacturing. Although they had some understanding of the principles and many other aspects of aircraft manufacturing, it was only superficial. Aircraft manufacturing involves a wide range of knowledge, and its raw materials have very strict requirements, which means that our aircraft manufacturing is still in the experimental stage. Although we have set up aircraft positions on several large ships, they are still empty! This further strengthens our determination to accelerate the development of science and technology. Zhen'er originally insisted on bringing Empress Yan and Empress Fei along, but because we were anxious to finalize the establishment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the opening of Peking University, we didn't let them come to the Northeast.

After receiving the call, I assigned all the work here to Zhen'er and instructed my three wives to listen to their elder sister Zhen'er in everything before leaving the Northeast and heading back to Beijing.

It was already midnight when I returned to Beijing. Yan'er and a group of wives were all at home. Seeing me return, the group of young wives happily brought me water to wash my face and feet, and prepared a midnight snack for me. While watching me eat, Yan'er reported to me on the preparations for the Academy of Sciences and Peking University.

As I listened and ate, I suddenly felt that someone was missing. I looked around and found that Yan'er, Xue'er, Shu'er, and Min'er were all there. Ying'er had returned to North Korea; she had sent Pu Xin back. After all, the child is the ruler of a country and cannot be away from the country for too long. Now, only Fei'er, who's always so talkative, is missing.

I asked Yan'er, "Where's Fei'er? Why didn't she come to greet me when she knew I was back?"

Yan'er replied casually, "Oh, she went to Wei Liangbin's. We've arranged for Fei'er to be the dean of the Academy of Sciences, and Wei Liangbin to be the executive vice dean. They were discussing their speeches for tomorrow's meeting, and it got too late, so she slept at Wei Liangbin's!"

I immediately panicked, "What? Slept at Wei Liangbin's? Does he have a dormitory?"

Yan'er said, "What dormitory? They just share a blanket. She's been sleeping at Wei Liangbin's these past few days!"

I jumped up! Good heavens! She's gone too far! She's cuckolded me! But as soon as I jumped up, I immediately realized: "That Wei Liangbin is actually a woman? Is this the unexpected surprise you were talking about?"

Yan'er laughed and said, "You trust Fei'er quite a bit, haven't you? Let me tell you, not only is she a woman, but she's also an absolute beauty. Actually, her real name is Wei Liangwen. Wei Liangbin is an alias she used to disguise herself as a woman to study abroad. Now we've restored her gender and her original name. Don't let her young age of twenty-eight fool you; she's already a PhD in General Mechanics and Physics from the Faculty of Science at the University of Paris, and she was classmates with Marie Sk?odowska, oh, that's Marie Curie."

I immediately said happily, "Then let her invite the Curies to China for research! We'll provide them with the best research conditions!"

Yan'er said, "Fei'er also made this request to her, but she said it would be difficult; Curie wouldn't leave his homeland!"

People say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that's absolutely true. The five of us had another night of passion, and the room was filled with the warmth of spring.

Peking University held its ceremony first. The president of Peking University was Mr. Cai Yuanpei (courtesy name Heqing, pen name Zimin), a modern democratic revolutionary, educator, and scientist. Cai Yuanpei made indelible contributions to modern and contemporary Chinese education and the Chinese revolution. It was with Cai Yuanpei that China formed a relatively complete system of bourgeois educational thought and education. His advocacy of "freedom of thought and inclusiveness" made Peking University the birthplace of the New Culture Movement and created conditions for the occurrence of the New Democratic Revolution. He protected a group of progressive and talented scholars for the Chinese nation. This time, it took three visits from my two wives and Xie Changda, the Vice Minister of Education, to persuade him to come from Shanghai.

At the ceremony, I also delivered a passionate speech, saying: "The Chinese nation is a great nation with five thousand years of splendid culture, a simple, kind, hardworking, and brave people, and the world-renowned Four Great Inventions! But in recent years, we have fallen behind. We have become the target of foreign aggression and plunder. Our land has been invaded, our national rights are being lost, and our people are being oppressed! Why have we fallen behind? There are many reasons, including political, economic, and, more importantly, scientific and cultural ones! While Westerners are already learning physics, chemistry, astronomy, and world geography, we are still learning that useless eight-legged essay, and we are still regarding those advanced sciences as heresy." This is heresy! When foreign barbarians used their advanced science to create firearms and warships to force open our national gates, we realized that history had already left China behind! Backwardness invites aggression and the loss of national sovereignty! This backwardness certainly includes aspects of national politics, which is why we established a parliament, implemented a constitutional monarchy, and delegated power to the people! This is not the place to discuss political issues, so I won't elaborate today. I want to focus on the cultural aspect. In order to catch up with the world's trends in science and culture, we established this university, hoping it will become a powerful engine for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and even more so, hoping that our students and teachers will become pioneers in China's rise! This time in North Korea... The Chinese army dealt a severe blow to the Japanese and Russian invaders, demonstrating its national power and military might! Why did the Chinese army, which was utterly defeated by a few thousand foreign troops yesterday, suddenly become so resolute, routing nearly 200,000 heavily armed invaders? I believe there are three reasons: First, our political system is more transparent, eliminating corruption and improving people's lives. The people welcome us, and our soldiers are more motivated to fight! Second, we have focused on training elite troops, reducing and eliminating complacent and opium-addicted soldiers, and building a strong and disciplined Chinese army! Third, we have focused on building a technologically advanced military, equipping our troops with the world's most advanced weaponry, which we ourselves have developed. This is precisely why... "Strive for leadership in science and technology! Students, if we want the Chinese nation to forever stand at the forefront of the world's nations, we must have world-leading science and technology. This depends on our continuous cultivation of outstanding young talents! Our Peking University should be the cradle for cultivating tomorrow's elites!"

My speech ended amidst enthusiastic applause. Mr. Cai Yuanpei, with tears in his eyes, said, "Thank you for your speech, Your Majesty. I, Yuanpei, will certainly dedicate myself to building Peking University into a cradle for cultivating elites!"

To run the university well, Cai Yuanpei recruited renowned teachers from all over the world. Even Yan Fu, the author of "On the Origin of Species," and Gu Tangsheng, a double PhD who studied in England, gathered under his command. I believe he will definitely run the university well!

After leaving Peking University, we came to the Chinese Academy of Sciences located on the shore of Beihai Park. Since Yan'er, the most beautiful woman of the Qing Dynasty, said that Wei Liangwen was an "exquisite" beauty, I really had to take a good look at her true appearance. Actually, I don't believe she's that beautiful at all. Even if a beautiful woman wears men's clothes, she can't hide her beauty. The fact that she could stay abroad for so many years without revealing her identity speaks volumes, doesn't it?

When I arrived outside the Academy of Sciences, I saw the welcoming crowd. I carefully observed the people there; there were quite a few women, but apart from Fei'er, I didn't see any truly beautiful ones. Next to Fei'er was a woman wearing large-rimmed glasses, currently holding Fei'er's hand. She was indeed slim and slender, but her slightly dark face and protruding front tooth made her look like a dinosaur, not a beauty at all. I knew it! Lin Yan was teasing me, exploiting my lecherous nature! Damn it, today I'll unleash my lecherous side and deliberately get close to that dinosaur. Let's see what she has to say then!

The car stopped, and I shook hands with everyone who came to welcome me. When they introduced the "dinosaur," I took a closer look and realized her name was indeed Wei Liangwen. I immediately grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go. I said, "Your father's 'Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms' was the first in our country to introduce the history and geography of Western countries, advocating the learning of advanced Western science and technology, and proposing the idea of 'learning from the barbarians' to control them.' He was a pioneer in our Great Qing Dynasty's search for the truth of national salvation from the West! I regret not being able to meet this great sage. Seeing you now is like seeing your father. We must have a good talk!"

Wow, her little hand was extremely white, tender, and soft to the touch. It must have been a beautiful woman's hand, but unfortunately, it was in the wrong place! However, I couldn't show it now. Firstly, this woman had extraordinary qualities and was also a great sage, and I couldn't hurt the feelings of the talented people of the world. Secondly, I couldn't let my mischievous Yan'er see that I valued beauty over talent!

I held her hand in one hand and pulled Fei'er's hand in the other, and strode into the house.

This Wei Liangwen really doesn't know how to be affectionate. She kept trying to pull her little hand away from mine, and her face was as red as Guan Yu's.

But Fei'er just giggled at her, making Wei Liangwen lower her head and whisper, "You must have betrayed me!"

Fei'er quickly declared, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I haven't left your side a single step today!"

Yan'er's mouth hung open for a long time.

Ha, what do you think, am I lustful?

Entering the Academy of Sciences building, I saw it was still early, so I said to Fei'er, "Go and prepare for the meeting. Find us a room. I'll talk to Ms. Wei, and you can call us when the meeting starts!"

Fei'er led us to a room, made a face at Wei Liangwen, and ran off laughing.

I finally released Wei Liangwen's hand. She gently rubbed her small hand and pointed to the armchair beside the desk, saying, "Your Majesty, please sit! What question does Your Majesty wish to ask me?"

I sincerely replied, "You've traveled to many places overseas. What do you think is the most pressing issue we need to address right now?"

She sat down on the other side of the desk, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "The hearts of the people!"

I was taken aback. As a scientist, I expected her to say something like "science and technology can save the nation," but instead, she uttered this. I immediately composed myself and asked, "This is a well-worn topic. I wonder what unique insights Ms. Wei has?"

She smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty understands the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it far better than I do. However, Your Majesty may not have considered how to win the hearts of the people! Your Majesty is currently focusing on improving people's lives and raising their social status, which is all correct, but you've forgotten the crucial point: we must do everything possible to make the people love our country, have confidence in our country, and have national pride! This is the most important thing! I've been to France, and an old man..." He told me that Napoleon's defeat in Russia, the loss of 400,000 troops, didn't discourage the French people. They believed France was the greatest nation in the world and would not perish! It was this belief that allowed the French people to rise again after their defeat! What our people lack now is precisely this belief, this confidence! The repeated changes of corrupt governments, the long-term poverty of the people, the constant shifts in fortunes—it is the common people who suffer, while the officials prosper. This has caused the people to lose faith, just as Guan Hanqing wrote in his Yuan dynasty poem, "Plowing the southern fields, lying on the eastern mountain." The state of the world... Having experienced much of life, I've reflected on the past. He was wise, I was foolish—what's the point of arguing? 'Nothing is more sorrowful than a dead heart.' The people have lost faith; this is the greatest tragedy of contemporary Chinese society! In such a country, no matter how hard you try, how many people will fight alongside you? This great victory against Japan should have been a major event, a boost to national prestige and morale, but you didn't. Yes, it's right that you didn't publicize it, but do you realize that the victory wasn't achieved by you alone? Millions upon millions of people contributed, and countless others watched from the sidelines. What you proclaimed… "It's not just you, it's millions of people. You're not promoting your own achievements, but letting millions of people know that China will not perish, that China is a country full of hope! Your newspapers, your government, should all publish articles to inspire the people, seizing every opportunity to let them know that our Chinese nation is the greatest nation in the world, the most hopeful nation! If the whole nation is mobilized, what country in the world would dare to compete with China?"

Listening to her soft, bird-like voice, I suddenly felt that she was actually very beautiful—not in appearance, but in her heart!

I sincerely exclaimed, "Beautiful! Magnificent! Ms. Wei's words are like a wake-up call. I never imagined that a double PhD in science and technology could also have such a clear understanding of current affairs. Truly, a renowned family produces a renowned woman!" I checked my watch and said, "Time's up. I truly regret not meeting you sooner. You're too busy now; let's have a long talk another day!"

My words made her face flush red again, and her shy demeanor made my heart flutter for a moment!

Just then, Fei'er came to call me. Seeing our awkward expressions, she chuckled and hurriedly said, "Let's go, we're waiting for you two! Let me tell you, Wenwen, you're hosting the 'Long Live the Emperor' event today, so you'll have to bear the consequences yourself. Don't drag me into this!"

But Wei Liangwen still pinched her.

After the unveiling ceremony, I visited their physics institute and learned that Wei Liangwen and Fei'er were researching the extraction of radium. I casually said, "That's very difficult, it takes unwavering perseverance!"

Fei'er looked at me, then at Wei Liangwen, and chuckled, "You old conservative! We've already extracted three grams of pure radium chloride. Shouldn't we announce it to the world?"

I was startled. This was two years earlier than the Curies' announcement in 1898 of the discovery of the radioactive element radium and their eventual extraction of one gram of pure radium chloride from eight tons of spent pitchblende! Could it be that our existence would really change the world?

I hurriedly said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's announce to the world immediately that two great Chinese women have discovered the radioactive element radium! We're not doing this for the Nobel Prize; we're doing it to boost our national pride and give our people greater confidence!" As I spoke, I glanced at Wei Liangwen, who smiled shyly, "Hmm, something's not right? Where did her big buck teeth go?"

I stared at her blankly, and Fei'er pinched me, "You idiot, why are you staring at her like that? You're making my sister want to crawl into the ground! Don't embarrass us, okay?"

I stammered to Fei'er, "Her teeth? How did they change?"

Fei'er laughed again, "She's got a lot of strange things going on about her. Keep observing!"

This wife of mine, I spoiled her so much, she always talks nonsense. Why would I observe her for no reason? Am I just bored?

Fei'er then led me on a tour of their electronics research institute. They had already produced transistors and were researching radio transmission equipment. She even said that the Central Broadcasting Station would be established in the near future!

I said, "Did you and Liangwen do this together again?"

Fei'er hurriedly said, "I didn't contribute anything. It was Sister Yan, Wenwen, and their research team who did it together. The main difficulty was in polycrystalline silicon manufacturing. We hadn't paid attention to that area before, and we were completely lost. It was Wenwen who, based on our rough description, repeatedly studied and figured it out!"

Wei Liangwen smiled shyly and whispered, "These two ladies know so much, they're even more knowledgeable than our university professors. I just contributed my efforts; the ideas were all theirs!" As she spoke, she took off her oversized glasses and wiped the sweat from her face with a handkerchief. When I saw her face, I was stunned!

There were just too many strange things about her!

Chapter Six of Episode Five: A Beauty Hard to Meet

I looked up and suddenly saw Wei Liangwen's face, revealing fair and tender skin under her handkerchief. Without her glasses, her beautiful eyes under her curved willow-leaf eyebrows shone with intelligence and wisdom. Her delicate nose and small, rosy lips, paired with her fair face, truly made her a peerless beauty!

Lost in her own world, wiping her pretty face, she suddenly noticed my dazed gaze. Startled, she immediately understood, exclaimed "Oh dear!" and ran off!

Fei'er, seeing this, clapped her hands with glee, saying, "Serves you right! You're the one who revealed your true colors! I told you my husband would fall for you, but you wouldn't believe me. Even disguised as an ugly woman, you couldn't escape his grasp. This time it's even harder! Just accept your fate and be a little sister. It's much better than your aunt being alone!" Even

after she'd run quite a distance, she was still saying, "I refuse to believe I can't live alone!"

Until we left the Academy of Sciences, Wei Liangwen didn't show up again. She only sent word that she'd gone to the Longxiang Machinery Factory to study the equipment the Empress had just designed, and she wouldn't be accompanying His Majesty on the visit. She asked for His Majesty's understanding!

How did this person become a cold beauty? Oh, so she just wanted to show me her ugly face, then disappear after revealing her true colors? That's so unfair! Is she trying to become a celibate? "Why should I? She's not some unwanted slut. Do you want to create more lovesick people in the world? Isn't this deliberately tormenting people? Are you any uglier than me?!"

Fei'er looked at my dumbfounded expression and laughed, "Let's go. This flower isn't easy to pick. She's already said she wants to live a quiet life forever! But, judging from today's appearance, she already has feelings for you. I think there's a good chance, but the road is winding and long!"

I pulled her over and slapped her little bottom: "What do you think your husband is? Do you think I'd fall in love with every beautiful woman I see? I'm just surprised that she had to dress up as a dinosaur! This is a great disrespect to me!" Fei'er

pinched me: "Come on, you don't even need to think before you lie! Tell me, didn't you know she was dressed up as soon as you saw her? Otherwise, why were you holding her so tightly? Didn't you see how scared she was and didn't know what to do? It's not easy being a beautiful woman, especially when you encounter a philandering emperor! He didn't even ask if she wanted to, just grabbed her..." "You won't let go of her hand, aren't you afraid she'll take advantage of you?"

I hurriedly explained, "That's a misunderstanding of your great husband. I only wanted to get close to her because she's a valuable scientific talent. I talked to her for a while, but it was time before we finished! What she said really gave me some inspiration. I wanted to talk to her some more, but she ran away first! What kind of person is she!"

Fei'er said, "With those big eyes of yours, staring at people like that, what girl wouldn't run away? If she didn't run away, wouldn't you eat her up? You're a pervert, anyone would run away if they saw you!"

I hurriedly said, "What are you saying? Am I a pervert?"

Before she could open her mouth, a group of voices came from outside the door: "If you're not, are there any perverts in this world?"

Damn it, all my wives in the capital have come at me. This harem is really in a mess!

I quickly changed the subject: "As far as I know, there's a guy in China who researches airplanes and even built one, putting him ahead of the world. Unfortunately, he died in a crash during a test flight. He was the pride of our time!" I'm well aware of my limitations; fighting a whole bunch of wives by myself is clearly a losing proposition. If I can't win, can't I at least dodge? Let's do a quick, decisive maneuver!

Yan'er laughed: "You're talking about Feng Ru. In 1906, with the aim of 'strengthening the nation and protecting its interests,' he raised funds from overseas Chinese to begin developing an airplane. Despite repeated setbacks, his determination remained undiminished, and he finally built an experimental aircraft in 1909. On September 21, 1909, he piloted his self-made aircraft over Oakland, achieving a range of 2,640 feet, surpassing the Wright brothers' initial test flight of 852 feet. American newspapers exclaimed, 'Chinese aviation technology has surpassed that of the West!' In June 1910, he built an aircraft that was at the world's most advanced level at the time. In October, Feng Ru piloted his self-made aircraft in an international competition. He won the championship with a speed of 104.6 kilometers per hour, a flight altitude of 213.2 meters, and a range of 32.1 kilometers. But he was born in 1883, and he's only fourteen years old now, having just gone abroad!"

I said, "I think we should take it one step at a time. Let's not build that high-level aircraft yet. Let's first build an aircraft like Feng Ru's back then, and then continue our research!" "

Yan'er said, 'It's not impossible, but our purpose in manufacturing them is for combat. At the very least, they need to be able to fight and land easily back on warships! To achieve this, we're still one step short! I'm redesigning a set of parts now, and I think it might make a breakthrough, but the manufacturing equipment is quite difficult to obtain. Wenwen has been busy with this these past few days, so please stop bothering her and let her focus on figuring out the equipment so our planes can join the battle as soon as possible!'

I immediately objected: 'What are you talking about? Who's bothering her? I'm just concerned about China's machinery manufacturing industry and want to understand the situation. What kind of crooked schemes do you have? Let me tell you, slandering me is a legal offense!'

Fei'er said, 'Don't try to be a tough guy. Wenwen gave herself away when she wiped her face, and that guy just stared at her like crazy, drooling all over the place, scaring her away!'

When did this woman join the Cultural Revolution's exposing-the-past ...

I knew that even the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth wouldn't work now, so I quickly turned and ran out. If you can't win, run! That's the best strategy in Sun Tzu's Art of War!

I escaped the Academy of Sciences building, got into the car, and honked the horn for ages before my wives finally got out and boarded. My poor backside still got a few rubs from them.

Humans are just like that; the more unattainable something is, the more you want it. That night, I practiced my love with my wives, but my mind was filled with thoughts of Wenwen, of her wiping her face: the handkerchief brushing past, her slightly dark skin becoming fair and lovely; her glasses off, revealing a pair of bright, sparkling eyes; her willow-leaf eyebrows, her jade-like nose glistening with dew, her cherry lips red, her pearly teeth shining—it's so painful to think about someone like that. There was no other way, so I wrote her an invitation to come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to discuss the mechanical production situation.

The letter was delivered personally by Li Xianglin. He went to wait at 8 a.m. and returned at noon with a short note: "My daughter is currently performing spectral analysis and cannot leave for a few days. Please understand! For any related matters, please ask Princess Fei; she knows everything."

Well, she refused, and for several days at once! That girl is ruthless!

Just then, a telegram arrived from the Northeast, saying that bandits had robbed a cash transport vehicle from the Longxiang Bank, leaving a note claiming it was done by Zhang Zuolin, the "King of the Northeast."

Damn it! I slammed my fist on the table. That bastard, hiding under the Japanese's protection, turned the Northeast into a mess. Later, it was his spendthrift son who handed over the three northeastern provinces, even airplanes, artillery, and guns, to the Japanese, helping them increase their power and providing them with free funding to massacre Chinese people. And those damned bastards even have the heart to erect monuments and write biographies for him! Today, I'll wipe out your entire race and see how you collude with those Japanese pigs then! Let's see how those boring intellectuals can continue to praise the fleeing general!

I immediately ordered Xi Jun of the Beijing Military Region to lead 6,000 cavalry and a tank battalion out of the pass to suppress the bandits!

With the bandit-suppression troops gone, I was restless and hungry. I thought again of that talented woman, Wenwen, who was always coy and veiled, saying she wanted to be an old maid. How could that be? Wouldn't that be a waste of beautiful women? I couldn't stand by and watch this wasteful trend spread. I had to personally solve this arduous and complex task!

You said you didn't have time to come? Surely I could pay you a visit? That day, I traveled light, bringing only Li Xianglin with me, to her office at the Academy of Sciences.

Li Xianglin knocked on the door for a long time before a foreign woman emerged. She wore large-rimmed glasses, had long, flowing golden curly hair, a fur coat, and a white fox fur scarf that almost completely obscured her face. She walked out with small, heeled steps, seemingly oblivious to everyone around her. Li Xianglin hurriedly approached and asked, "Is Vice Dean Wei Liangwen still here?"

The woman shrugged, repeatedly saying "no, no," and continued walking without stopping.

Watching the departing foreign woman, I felt a sense of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place it.

I chuckled inwardly: "Are you thinking about Catherine again? She was dressed like this too, and Zeng Jize gave her a real dressing-down. Are you making connections to that?"

I shook my head. Being greedy, always wanting more, is this what the privileges of being an emperor spoil you with? This is completely different from my original intentions in pursuing Fei'er!

Damn it, isn't this a bit too much? Everyone loves beauty, but mine is a bit too much, isn't it?

Li Xianglin continued knocking on the door, knocking for about ten minutes before a young girl carrying a large stack of books came out. The girl looked at us and said, "Who are you looking for?"

Li Xianglin said, "We're looking for Vice Dean Wei Liangwen!"

The girl looked at us in surprise and said, "She just went out, didn't you see her?"

Li Xianglin quickly said, "No, just now a foreigner came out, wearing a fur coat!"

The girl quickly said, "That's Dean Wei! That coat was given to her by Empress Fei!" Then she left with the books.

Li Xianglin and I stood there, staring at each other in disbelief. After a long pause, I slapped my thigh and exclaimed, "No wonder she looked familiar! That coat was a gift from Empress Dowager Cixi! This little girl has tricked me again! She deliberately avoided me; I must confront her!"

But even so, if you pursue someone and they don't agree, do you have no right to run away? Alas, beauty is hard to find!

I drove back to the Qianqing Palace listlessly. Zhen'er sent another telegram, still about the bandits. It seemed Xijun was also in trouble; that kid was too cunning, circling the mountains, making bandit suppression difficult.

I really wanted to go to Liaoning immediately to fight a major bandit campaign, but I had to see Wei Liangwen, say a few words, and make a lifelong promise. I couldn't let anyone else take her away! And I couldn't let her always be alone!

I decided to act quickly, find Wenwen immediately, lay everything out, and then head north to beat that bastard!

I had Li Xianglin figure out Wei Liangwen's routine so we could corner her and have a clear-cut talk. We couldn't let her slip away like an eel anymore!

Li Xianglin spent several days figuring out her routine. I studied it for a long time, and actually, her routine was quite simple: research at the Academy of Sciences in the morning, experiments at the machinery factory in the afternoon, and research in the library in the evening.

Wasn't that just her routine? We'd chase her from the Academy to the machinery factory, then to the library, relentlessly pursuing her. I refused to believe we couldn't catch this beautiful woman!

That day, after dinner, I drove out. When I arrived at the Academy, it wasn't open yet. I waited in my car for a while before her secretary arrived. I followed her into her office.

Sitting at her desk, drinking the tea her secretary had made for me, and looking at the open books on her desk, I patiently waited for her. I refused to believe I wouldn't see her!

The book she was reading was Boccaccio's masterpiece, *The Decameron*, from the Italian Renaissance period. She had opened it to the story of Fiameda, and I was immediately captivated by the beginning. It told of King Philip II of France, the One-Eyed, preparing to join the Marquis of Montferrat's crusade. The day before his departure, the court was abuzz with talk of the Marquis's bravery. A court knight remarked that the Marquis and his wife were a perfect match; while the Marquis was indeed exceptionally brave, his wife was even more outstanding in beauty and virtue. Unexpectedly, these words of praise ignited the king's desire. He decided to travel by land first, then by ship to Genoa. He would use the pretext of a stopover to visit her openly! Now that her husband was gone, he could have his way.

A day's journey from the Marquis's house, he sent an envoy to inform the Marquis's wife. The Marquis's wife immediately understood that the king had come because of her beauty.

The next day, the king arrived on time, and the Marquis's wife greeted him with great enthusiasm and pomp. The king sized up the lady and found her even more beautiful and elegant than the court knight had described; he was even more captivated by her!

The banquet began, and dishes were served one after another at the king's table, but no matter how the cooking methods changed, it was always the same dish: hen.

The king couldn't help but wonder. He knew that this region had plenty of game, and he had informed her beforehand; she wouldn't have been too busy to send people hunting. She casually asked, "Madam, do you only raise hens here? Not a single rooster?"

The lady immediately replied, "Indeed, Your Majesty! But even if the women here differ in clothing and status, they are actually exactly the same as women elsewhere!"

Upon hearing this, the king suddenly understood the Marquis's purpose in serving him hen; she was implying her purity and innocence. He abandoned his thoughts, thanked the lady for her hospitality, and hurriedly departed for Genoa after the meal.

The story is short, but its charm is boundless; I secretly admired the lady's wit.

Suddenly it dawned on me: this Wei Liangwen, the book she opened was clearly meant for me, a satire of the present, an attempt to persuade me to give up on pursuing her! What a shrew, daring to lecture me!

I'm not some hypocritical Philip II, I'm the dashing Emperor Long Xiangyu! I can't be dismissed by a single word or story. I'm here to discuss business, of course I have to meet her before leaving!

I closed the book and smiled at her secretary, saying, "It's already nine o'clock, why isn't your Vice President Wei here yet?"

The girl replied, "She's probably at the machinery factory. She said yesterday she still has something to finish and wants to get it done quickly!"

I checked my watch, stood up, and said, "Alright, when she gets back, tell her I need to discuss establishing a heavy machinery factory in Qiqihar, Northeast China. Ask her to wait for me here!"

I drove off to Longxiang Machinery Factory.

Damn it, even if you're pure and innocent, you still have to get married, right? Do you want your aunt to live alone forever? Since you're going to get married, I have the right to pursue you. Who are you trying to lecture me with this lousy book?

I'm not going to listen to that nonsense. I still remember the words from "The Complete Guide to Picking Up Girls": "If I fail a thousand times, I'll try again for the thousand and first time!" This is nothing!

When the car arrived at the machinery factory, the gatekeeper, hearing that I was looking for General Manager Wei, hurriedly said, "She didn't come today. I heard she went to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau in Shanghai. Go in and ask her secretary!"

Hey, this girl's something else. She knew I wouldn't give up, and sent me to Shanghai again. Luckily, she didn't send me to France!

Walking into her office, her secretary handed me a letter while saying, "You must be Principal Long. Our factory manager went to Shanghai and left two hours ago. Before she left, she left you a letter saying, 'If you still don't understand, you'll have to wait for her to come back!'"

Holding the letter, I returned heavily to my study in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Others have appointments with their beauties, but I can't get an appointment with mine. How pathetic!

I knew the letter contained nothing but words of rejection; what difference did it make whether I read it or not? I drank some wine alone, then fell asleep on the table.

Suddenly, I saw Wei Liangwen walking towards me with a smile. I immediately went to greet her, and she said reproachfully, "Why didn't you read my letter? Did you really want me to waste all that time writing it?"

I jolted awake, hurriedly grabbed the letter, tore it open, and began to read. The letter read:

"Your Majesty, I know that Boccaccio's story cannot stop you, so I left you this letter as well."

Your passionate and persistent pursuit, your intelligent and insightful thinking, have left an indelible impression on me. However, I am truly not mentally prepared to welcome you. Could you please give me some more time? You may not know, but I was engaged when I was young. Later, my father passed away, and our family fell into poverty. That man married the daughter of the prefect, and I became superfluous! My efforts over the past few years have yielded one achievement after another, but after each success, I would burst into tears! Truly, I long for someone who loves and cherishes me to share the joy of victory with me! Now, that glimmer of hope has appeared, and I am both eagerly anticipating it and incredibly nervous! Could you please allow me some more time to consider this?

After reading the letter, I jumped up with a roar: "Hooray, my little darling!" "

Ha! Now there's a glimmer of hope! I'm so excited, yet so nervous!

I immediately shouted, 'Li Xianglin, prepare to set off! Let's go to the Northeast to fight the bandits!'" (

Episode 5, Chapter 7: Luring the Enemy Out of the Mountains)

Historically, Zhang Zuolin was an ambitious man who rose to power with the help of the Japanese, and was later killed by them. Whether today's Zhang Zuolin is colluding with the Japanese is still unknown, but at least he has fallen into my hands. He has ruined the excellent environment for economic development and construction in the Northeast, and interfered with my strategic plans to recover lost territory and launch the Northern Expedition. For this alone, I must eliminate him!

Actually, there were already many bandits in the Heilongjiang region, especially in the mountains and forests along the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains and the Mudanjiang River. They robbed and plundered property. Destroying production had become a social cancer. After Hai Bo arrived, he simultaneously expanded the army, suppressed bandits, and developed production. People's lives improved, and their desire for peace and stability left no place for bandits. Now, Heilongjiang is peaceful. Liaoning, however, has become chaotic.

In the past two years, Li Bin has been busy fighting the Japanese and has had no time to attend to internal affairs. In addition, the Japanese have intervened, trying to use our internal forces to restrain us. Eight or nine groups of bandits they have supported have suddenly emerged. Sheng Bao, the current commander of the Northeast Region, returned to China after the Korean War and began the anti-bandit campaign. He has already cleared most areas, but Zhang Zuolin's bandit gang in the Qianshan area, relying on their familiarity with the mountainous terrain, their cunning and adaptability, and their advanced weaponry, has been repeatedly elusive.

On July 15, 1896, I arrived in Yingkou with Shu'er and met up with Generals Xijun and Shengbao, who were waiting there.

After a quick meal, Shu'er and I rushed to the operations room to hear the two generals' reports.

Shengbao pointed to the large map on the wall and said, "We have now deployed heavy troops along the line of Anping, Benxi, Caohezhang, Caohecheng, Linjiatai, Qiumuzhuang, Huanghuadian, Gushan, and Qianshan, tightly surrounding the bandits in the narrow area around Motianling. The problem now is that the Motianling area is mountainous and densely forested with many ravines. Moreover, the bandits have relatively strong fortifications on Motianling, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. We have gone in several times but have returned empty-handed, losing more than 300 men." Xi Jun said, “

We interviewed the local people and learned that the bandits now number over 3,000, with only over 500 on Motianling. Although it is their stronghold and the terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, obtaining water there is extremely inconvenient. The water source is a small branch of the Caohe River that passes at the foot of the mountain, from which they draw water and store it on the mountain, but it can only store enough water for 500 people for twenty days at most. If we cut off their water source and surround them, we can take it. The problem is that Nanfen, Caohekou, Lianshanguan, Qingchengzi, and Tongyuanbao around Motianling are still in their hands. The terrain there is complex, with many rivers and inconvenient transportation. Our tanks and artillery cannot enter for the time being. If we rely solely on cavalry and infantry to capture it, the casualties of our soldiers will definitely be very high, so we are hesitant. Moreover, the bandits have a cavalry force that is highly mobile and often appears in the Haicheng and Dashiqiao areas, robbing the property of passing travelers, which is very dangerous! We dare not act rashly, for fear that we might make a mistake and let the cavalry escape and harm the people.” "

Sheng Bao said, 'Not long ago, they were active in the Dashiqiao area, supposedly to pick up some Japanese. And their weapons were all Japanese. It seems their connection with the Japanese has never been severed. This is a group of political bandits colluding with international enemies, posing a great threat to our regime. They should be annihilated immediately!'

I looked at the map and didn't say anything. Shu'er came to my side and whispered for a long time. I nodded. She took her baton and went to the map, asking, 'I wonder how many people they send each time? And what routes do they take?'

Sheng Bao said, 'It's uncertain, but last time the number was large, about 1,500 people, including 800 cavalry and 700 infantry. They went from Qingchengzi to Ximu, then to Dashiqiao, and returned via the same route. According to our insider, this time they might be negotiating with the Japanese about providing them with weapons. If the deal goes through, they'll probably get weapons from the coast. So we've deployed heavy troops in Qiumuzhuang, Huanghuadian, Gushan, and Qianshan areas to prevent them from coming out.'" "

Shu'er looked at me and said, 'I just exchanged some opinions with the principal, and we have an immature idea that we'd like to discuss. We think the first step is to find a way to lure the enemy out of their stronghold and eliminate them outside, reducing the difficulty for us to destroy their stronghold! You mentioned the possibility of Japan transporting weapons, but we can't rely on that. We need to set up another bait, a big bait, so they have to come and grab it, they absolutely have to swallow it! Once they come out, we'll quickly surround them; the second step is to surround the bandits without annihilating them, forcing them to send reinforcements, then surround the reinforcements again and wipe them out all at once; the third step is to take the opportunity to compress the encirclement of the bandits, try to push them up Motianling, then cut off their water supply, starve them out, and then annihilate them all at once, leaving no future trouble!'

Sheng Bao and Xi Jun's eyes lit up, they looked at each other and nodded.

Shu'er continued, 'Now let's talk about setting up the bait. The enemy is clearly worried about running out of guns and ammunition. If they want to continue occupying the mountain as kings, they need to replenish their weapons and ammunition at any time.'" After the Korean War, we cut off all Japanese access to China, severing their connection with the Japanese invaders and jeopardizing their resupply. The fact that we've mobilized so much force to deal with those few Japanese shows how seriously they've taken this matter! We'll use weapons and ammunition as bait. I suggest we transport a batch of munitions from Tianjin to General Sheng, then take the sea route, land at Yingkou, pass through Dashiqiao, and head towards Haicheng. We'll lure bandits to plunder the area between Haicheng and Dashiqiao. You will ambush them between Haicheng, Ximu, Huangtuling, and Dashiqiao, annihilating their attack! To prevent the bandits from finding out, you must secretly enter the positions beforehand and control and blockade the news! This task will still be carried out by General Xijun's troops; their soldiers have no contact with the local area and are less likely to be exposed. General Sheng's troops will continue to besiege the enemy. Once General Xijun's troops launch their attack, the enemy will definitely send reinforcements. At that time, you will surround and annihilate the reinforcements! "After these two battles, you can lead your troops to capture all the bandit strongholds except for Motianling, trapping these bandits on the isolated Motianling. What happens next is up to you. We only ask one thing: wipe out these Japanese dogs!"

Sheng Bao and Xi Jun both laughed happily.

I said, "Transporting this batch of weapons requires letting the bandits know, but we must make it appear extremely secret. This requires finding their informants around Dashiqiao and intentionally letting them know we're receiving a batch of weapons. Have them send a message to Zhang Zuolin, letting him know that we have four or five hundred men escorting and receiving the weapons, transporting them to Shenyang via Dashiqiao! This will force them to send more troops, allowing us to wipe them out in one fell swoop! General Sheng, you'll have to figure out how to implement this task!"

Sheng Bao hurriedly said, "Okay, we guarantee we'll complete the mission!" "

Shu'er continued, "When the bandits come down the mountain, General Sheng's troops should snipe them, but not too fiercely. Let them out after taking a few bites, but not back. Don't let a single bandit return to their lair! At that time, fight hard, cleanly, thoroughly, wipe them all out, leave as few troubles as possible!"

Xi Jun said, "What if the bandits want to surrender? They're a bunch of scoundrels who turn on you faster than flipping a book!"

Shu'er laughed, "Didn't I say? Exterminate these Japanese dogs! Go all out and slaughter them, leave no survivors. This time, fight hard, kill them cleanly, that'll have a deterrent effect, so those bandits who have the desire but not the courage, who haven't yet started an uprising, won't dare to break the law again, giving the people here a peaceful environment!"

I concluded by saying, "This is a group of political bandits who will have a huge negative impact on our efforts to build a solid northeastern border defense and recover lost northern territories. We must resolutely and thoroughly eliminate this stubborn bandit group! We must restore a stable environment for the people of Liaoning to build their country! What Shufei just said was the strategic plan. Discuss it, and if possible, hold a tactical discussion meeting with officers at the division level and above to finalize our specific tactics!"

Shu'er and the others then held a series of meetings to finalize the combat mission. I then went to the naval base in Yingkou. Thanks to the protection of the first island chain, apart from warships returning for repairs to Weihai, Dagu, and Lushun, large ships were no longer visible in the Bohai Bay. However, there were still some frigates and torpedo boats in the ports, which was necessary to maintain maritime order. At the Naval Headquarters, I issued an order to Zhang Zhidong to dispatch transport ships to Yingkou to deliver weapons. Then, accompanied by several military commanders, we went for a stroll at sea and inspected the nearby forts. I offered my opinions on strengthening the forts: "Now that we have the first island chain, the possibility of the enemy attacking our mainland is smaller, but it's not absolute. Those humiliating treaties signed by the corrupt government in the past haven't been abolished, and there are still a number of foreign warships in our inland waters. These warships are still a major threat to us! We must be constantly vigilant against their interference! Of course, we are not afraid of their interference, if they..." "If they dare to cause trouble, we have every reason to abolish those traitorous treaties and reclaim our sovereignty. But as long as Qingfu is alive, the troubles of Lu will not end. As long as the enemy remains in our inland sea, we will not be able to sleep soundly! This is what they mean by 'How can we allow others to sleep soundly under our bed'? Even if these bastards get out of here, we cannot relax our defenses. We must be prepared for them to launch a major attack, a chaotic attack, and be ready at any time to annihilate any invading enemy!"

In Dashiqiao Town, there lived a down-on-his-luck young master named Baolin. He was handsome with big eyebrows and big eyes, and a fair complexion, but he was a good-for-nothing. He spent his days carrying birdcages and making a living by writing a few crooked characters, frequenting brothels and pleasure quarters.

There was a brothel called Xinghuachun in the town, where a new top courtesan named Xiaoyumei had just arrived. Baolin and she hit it off immediately. Baolin didn't have much money, so Xiaoyumei paid him to stay there regularly, preventing other envious men from getting a chance to sleep with her. This angered Peng Sanlaizi, a notorious playboy from Dashiqiao. Peng Sanlaizi hired a group of thugs to carry a sedan chair to Xinghuachun to invite Xiaoyumei, saying it was for a night of pleasure. The madam was greedy, and they offered a large sum of money, so she agreed. The group went inside and started dragging Xiaoyumei out. Baolin tried to stop them, but they stripped him naked, dragged him out into the street, and beat him so badly he was barely breathing and almost died.

Just then, Zhang Zuolin entered the street with his men. Seeing the scene, it's unclear what triggered him, but he ordered his men to beat Peng Sanlai and his gang senseless, leaving them crippled and broken. He even carried Baolin into a brothel and told the madam, "This man is my brother. You all better serve him well and let him stay here. Have Xiaoyumei accompany him every day; she can't go to solicit customers anymore. If you don't serve him well, next time I come, I'll send you all to the mountain stronghold so my brothers can give you a good dressing down!"

The madam was terrified and treated Baolin and Xiaoyumei like royalty.

Baolin later became Zhang Zuolin's godson. Through Zhang Zuolin's connections, he opened the Yanzilou Hotel in Dashiqiao and also hired a gang of thugs. He became one of Zhang Zuolin's agents in Dashiqiao.

One day, two military officers came to his tavern. The two seemed to have not seen each other for a long time. They asked for a small room and started chatting and eating quietly.

Because he was an officer, Baolin paid special attention. He found a small hut next to the private room, heated up some wine, prepared a few dishes, and eavesdropped while eating.

The officers there were from Shenyang and Lushun. The one from Shenyang said he was going to Yingkou to pick up guns: three thousand Chinese rifles, fifty light machine guns, ten mortars, three hundred thousand rounds of ammunition, and four hundred shells. The ship was going to Yingkou Port this afternoon, unload the cargo tomorrow, and arrive at Dashiqiao the day after.

The man from Lushun immediately said, "This is a matter of great military importance! It's not safe here; be careful they don't hijack it!"

The man from Shenyang immediately laughed, "Don't worry, we have four companies, five hundred men, to escort them. We're taking the official road to Dashiqiao; who would dare to come looking for trouble? General Sheng Bao's guard regiment is coming to meet us in Haicheng. Our five hundred men are just responsible for escorting them from Dashiqiao to Haicheng; it'll only take half a day. What danger could there be?"

Upon hearing this, Baolin didn't even finish his meal. He grabbed Xiaoyumei and, pretending to be visiting relatives, rode their donkeys towards Lianshan Pass.

Because of prior arrangements, when they passed the Huanghuadianzi checkpoint, our soldiers simply checked their belongings and let them pass.

But upon reaching Lianshan Pass, the two encountered trouble.

The bandits guarding Lianshan Pass have been extremely nervous these days. They've heard that the emperor is furious and has sent a large army to surround them. Now they're really on edge, seeing enemies everywhere, so they're checking passersby very carefully.

Just then, a pretty young couple rode by on a donkey. Suddenly, six or seven bandits, wearing askew hats and squinting, surrounded them, their gun bolts clicking, shouting intimidating slogans: "What are you doing? Get off!"

The couple obediently dismounted. Baolin, confident and smiling, said, "I am Baolin, the owner of the Swallow Tower at Dashiqiao. I've come to see my godfather, Commander Zhang!"

The leader of the bandits was taken aback, but immediately laughed: "Hey, hey, hey, you really dare to make such a fuss! Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you

can chew? The Swallow Tower at Dashiqiao is owned by our Commander Zhang. When did you become the owner?" Baolin quickly replied, "Yes, it's owned by my godfather, Commander Zhang, but I'm the owner!" He then bent down to lift his shirt, which terrified the bandits, who immediately raised their guns: "No, no, no!" "What are you doing?"

Baolin pulled open his shirt, took out a piece of paper, and handed it over. The leader glanced at it and immediately saluted him: "Sir, sorry, just routine business! We—"

He only got halfway through his sentence before his face turned pale with fright. A bandit was reaching into Xiaoyumei's clothes to touch her firm breasts: "Is that a grenade you're carrying? I need to see!"

Xiaoyumei was so angry that she dodged and slapped him hard across the face. The bandit pulled out his gun and tried to smash it at Xiaoyumei, but luckily the leader saw it. He slapped the bandit so hard that he fell over, and then kicked him: "You fucking want to die? You even dare to flirt with the officer's wife! Quick, arrest him and hang him on the top of the city gate tower!" After saying that, he kept smiling apologetically at Baolin.

Baolin, preoccupied with urgent business, ignored the formalities and simply said, "Quick, take me to see the Marshal!"

Zhang Zuolin, after hearing Baolin's intelligence, stared blankly for a long time before finally saying, "Good, Lin'er is indeed filial. Men, attend to your young master and mistress so they can rest!"

Baolin hurriedly said, "Godfather, this is a fortune!"

Zhang Zuolin waved his hand and said, "I know, you rest first. I'll think about how to accept this gift!"

He now doubted the reliability of the intelligence, worried about whether he had the strength to seize it, and even more concerned about whether the officials would be late or not at all. He had to time it perfectly, just in time for the transport convoy to pass between Dashiqiao and Haicheng to seize the goods.

Back in the back room, he immediately told his eldest son, "Send a messenger to that damn Sea Wolf right away, tell him to check if any of his goods have arrived in Yingkou! If so, get the damn news immediately!"

The carrier pigeon flew away, and his heart pounded. Three thousand rifles—it was too tempting! If he got his hands on them, he, Zhang, would be invincible in the Fengtian area! But protecting them with five hundred soldiers was no joke, and with so many troops the emperor had sent to surround the mountain, breaking out and coming back would be incredibly difficult! But even that was easier than having the Japanese deliver them. This was truly a huge windfall!

Two hours later, the carrier pigeon returned, reporting that a shipment of weapons had arrived in Yingkou and was being unloaded—all rifles and small cannons. But where this shipment was going and to whom it was being transported remained a mystery.

Zhang Zuolin's brows furrowed even more. It seemed the intelligence was accurate, but how to seize this treasure? He was now racking his brains! He wasn't afraid of the five hundred soldiers, but he feared the swarming reinforcements from Sheng Bao—those were like a persistent leech, impossible to shake off once they were attached!

He paced back and forth for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter: "A feint to the east while attacking the west! Yes, give them a feint to the east while attacking the west!"

(Episode 5, Chapters 8-10, Chapter 8: No Japanese Dogs Left)

In the early morning of June 18th, the bandits suddenly launched a fierce attack on the Qing troops at Qiumuzhuang outside the encirclement. Gunfire and shouts filled the air as they made it appear as if they wanted to break through the encirclement and head towards the sea. They were immediately met with a counterattack from our soldiers, and the two sides fought fiercely, but the bandits failed to break through our defenses.

Upon receiving the report, I laughed and said to Consort Shu, who had just been appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Qing Dynasty, "Zhang Zuolin is quite cunning, but he's nothing compared to our Shu'er. Don't you think we should tell Sheng Bao to proceed according to plan? I'm eager to go to Qiqihar to check on the construction of the heavy machinery plant!"

Consort Shu smiled and said, "Wait a little longer. If we act too quickly, they'll become suspicious! If we scare them away, all this commotion will have been for nothing!"

I laughed, "Aren't you being a little too cautious? That little..." "The trip to Dashiqiao is inevitable. If we don't take the bait, he'll keep causing trouble! Let him run wild for a while longer, and we'll have more pressure on Qiumuzhuang! Alright, alright, we'll listen to you. Our female strategist is always right; maybe this way they'll take the bait more firmly!"

Shu'er laughed, hugging me and saying, "Your Majesty, don't be impatient. Haste makes waste! Your Majesty, I see you hate the Japanese pirates and their dogs to the bone. Is that a shadow cast by that society? Is that Koizumi you mentioned, just as much of a scoundrel as Mutsuhito now?"

"Of course, they're from the same doghouse, the same breed, so there's not much difference! That scoundrel insists on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Japanese war criminals, and not only does he occupy China's Ryukyu Islands, but he also covets China's Taiwan and Diaoyu Islands; this scoundrel is always trying to reach out his dog claws to China! Don't you think they're the same?" I said.

"Didn't I hear that Mutsuhito is suffering from edema and is about to die?" Shu'er asked.

"That's true, so he wanted Xin'er to go back! But Xin'er refused. She said she wasn't the Crown Prince, she was a woman, and she wasn't Mu Ren's child. Her father was an ordinary water carrier for a prince's family, and they had already killed him. She hated them, so she wouldn't go back to be with them! She also said she was now Chinese, a Chinese woman!" I said.

"They don't trust Xin'er at all, and they would never hand over power to her. They're using this as bait to pull Xin'er away from you! To create trouble for you, to create mental pressure, and also to take this opportunity to kill Xin'er!" Shu'er said confidently.

"You're a female strategist, right to the point! According to our secret report, they've already chosen a successor, a prince's son, who has been adopted by Mu Ren. Although Xin'er doesn't know this yet, she knows it's a trap. Even if it wasn't a trap, now that she's integrated with us, she feels she's Chinese and doesn't want to go back to that evil environment! Oh, it's getting late, the bandits must be getting impatient, right?" I said, looking at my watch.

"Then they'll fight tooth and nail at Qiumuzhuang! Long live the Emperor, let's wait for good news from there!" Shu'er said confidently.

Sure enough, seeing that there was no movement from Ximu and Gushan, Zhang Zuolin paced anxiously around the room. He grabbed his sworn brother, Lao Er, and said, "Damn it, why aren't they supporting Qiumuzhuang? Have we wasted our time? Do they know our brilliant plan? Did one of the boys leak the news?"

Then he grabbed his advisor and said, "If they don't mobilize their troops, do we have to charge straight in? We can't wait any longer. If they get those weapons to Haicheng, we won't even get to eat our shit!"

His advisor quickly said, "Don't worry, they also need to think about our main attack direction. Let's give them another blow!"

Zhang Zuolin immediately ordered the bandits to reinforce the troops attacking Qiumuzhuang again, launching a powerful new offensive, making a huge commotion, as if he wouldn't give up until a passage was opened.

Shu'er received the call and laughed, saying, "Then let them make a scene. Don't let it affect their mood. This is their last jump before they die. You should learn to appreciate it and gain some inspiration from it! Yes, this is also a good opportunity to train the soldiers in positional defense!" After hanging up, she went inside, took out a Go set, and walked over to me, who was pacing anxiously around the room, laughing, "To remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you is the true nature of a great general. Your Majesty is the one who appoints the generals, so you shouldn't show your joy, anger, haste, or composure! Come, Your Majesty, let me play a game of Go with you! Perhaps this is a good way to cultivate composure!"

The game lasted for more than an hour. Seeing that the time was almost up, she picked up the phone: "General Sheng, begin the operation according to plan. Make a big show of force, make the mobilization obvious, let Zhang Zuolin feel at ease walking into the trap, don't scare him back!"

Our army began to draw troops from the Ximu and Gushan areas to support Qiumuzhuang. The soldiers urgently assembled, the assembly bugle sounded deafeningly, and quickly moved in a southeast direction. The bugle calls and the sound of troops running carried far.

Zhang Zuolin received a message by carrier pigeon, and he grinned widely: "Damn it all! Who was in charge of surrounding us? They're really patient, taking so long to settle things. They're really steady, aren't they afraid I'll escape? Hahaha, no matter how cunning they are, they've still fallen for my tricks! Notify the third brother to attack Ximu immediately!" An

800-strong bandit cavalry unit, along with 800 infantry, surged towards Ximu like a whirlwind.

The Qing troops guarding Ximu, probably not expecting bandits to appear there, immediately crumbled and desperately retreated. The encirclement was torn open by the cavalry, and Zhang Zuolin's troops quickly appeared on the official road at Dashiqiao.

The cavalry galloped along the road towards Dashiqiao, and after less than ten li, they saw a large convoy of transport wagons approaching.

Zhang Zuolin's sworn brother, the third son, immediately picked up his telescope and looked ahead. There were about thirty carts, each followed by six or seven soldiers with rifles slung across their shoulders. Because of the heat, they all had their clothes unbuttoned and were fanning themselves with their hats, showing no signs of fighting. The third brother counted the number of men, somewhat incredulous. He looked around for a long time, but still couldn't find anything wrong. He grinned widely and said, "Damn it! I've struck gold this time! Only two hundred or so soldiers, not even enough for one charge of my cavalry. Stealing this stuff is like catching sparrows in my pocket, a piece of cake!"

He waved his hand, and the cavalry rushed forward like a whirlwind, while the infantry also took off running. But before he could finish laughing, he was dumbfounded. The convoy suddenly went down into a ditch, and immediately a dark mass of soldiers lay prone on the ditch side. Before the bandits could even wake up, the machine guns roared, mowing down the cavalry like stalks of sorghum!

Then, artillery shells, seemingly out of nowhere, joined in the fun, exploding loudly right in the middle of the cavalry, scattering them in all directions. They were no longer able to organize any offensive.

"Damn it, we've fallen for their trap! Get out of here! Get out of here!" the third brother shouted hoarsely. But his voice was too faint compared to the deafening explosions of the cannons.

The cannonballs seemed to have eyes, specifically targeting the crowd. The bandit ranks were filled with howls and screams, men shouting and horses neighing. By the time the third brother had gathered his men and retreated to a place a few miles away from the main road, the 1,600-strong force had dwindled to only 700 or 800 men.

Strangely, the government troops surrounded them in a large depression and stopped attacking, only firing continuously at them. Bullets whizzed overhead, and the warhorses that tried to dodge were killed one after another. The remaining horses, whether out of a sense of justice or bribed by the government, all ran to the government troops and surrendered! However, being in this position, the men were not in great danger. The bullets couldn't reach them, and the cannon fire had stopped, so they could finally catch their breath.

But breaking through was harder than climbing to heaven. Leaving aside the ambushes on all sides, just getting past the blockade would be incredibly difficult.

The third brother now understood: "Damn it, they were prepared all along, they must have—" He stopped mid-sentence, turning back to find Baolin and Xiaoyumei. He saw the two huddled together, shivering under a mound of earth.

"Damn it, you fucking tricked me! Someone, drag that woman over here, let me have my fun! And that man, don't just sit there either, he's a pretty boy, his ass must be pretty tender!" he shouted.

Terrified, Baolin hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed frantically, pleading, "Please spare us for the sake of my relationship with the commander! We don't know why there are so many troops protecting that shipment!"

The third brother spat out a mouthful of phlegm, "Spare you? Who the hell spares us? Look at us, there are government troops all around! You brought us to such a nice place. If we don't let you have some fun, we'll be letting you down!" He then pulled down his pants and shouted, "I'll try this woman first, and don't let that man be idle either, everyone take care of him!"

Immediately, a group of men rushed over, pinned Baolin to the ground, and tore him naked in moments.

The scene was truly bizarre; gunfire erupted from all sides, while in the hollow, a man and a woman were being kept busy by a large group of men. The sounds of

gunfire, artillery fire, and lewd shouts intertwined into a jarring, discordant symphony.

When the man and woman were lifeless, their bodies covered in blood, the bandits lost interest. Only then did they realize the perilous situation they faced, and they all stood there, stunned.

The intense gunfire from the direction of Da Shi Qiao startled Zhang Zuolin: "Damn it! These bones aren't easy to gnaw on! Come on, assemble the troops, come with me and bring them back!" He drew his two pistols from his waist. He knew he could lose anything, but not his troops. They were his foundation for dominating the mountains of Northeast China, his bargaining chip with the Japanese. The Japanese were still waiting on the mountain to discuss their terms for helping him succeed; this was no time to slack off!

He quickly gathered eight hundred men and charged towards Da Shi Qiao.

Thanks to his bravery and resourcefulness, the attack went surprisingly smoothly. He broke through the blockade lines with little effort and victoriously reunited with his third brother.

The third brother burst into tears upon seeing him: "General, we've been tricked! We've been tricked by this damn bastard!"

Zhang Zuolin looked at Baolin, who was sprawled on his back, and his wife, whose lower body was swollen and red. He knew they were innocent too; they had all been tricked by the officials. But at this point, he couldn't blame anyone. They were all dead, and there was no point in fighting for them. He brandished his gun: "Let's go back to the mountains! As long as the green hills remain, we'll have firewood to burn!"

With that, he led the bandits back.

But now the situation had completely changed. Not only was the road they had come from completely blocked, but even the cannons, which had been silent for so long, roared, shells exploding one after another in the bandit ranks. The bandits struggled in the smoke and hail of bullets.

Zhang Zuolin, brandishing two pistols, shouted, "Brothers, charge! If you don't charge now, you'll be cannon fodder!"

He ripped open his shirt and charged forward first. The bandits behind him knew they were facing a life-or-death situation, so they followed him desperately towards the Qing army.

The battle was extremely fierce, but our army was well-prepared and had exceptionally good weapons. So no matter how tenaciously the enemy charged, by nightfall they hadn't broken through. Their own men were dying wave after wave, totaling 2,400, leaving less than a fraction of their original numbers.

Seeing that it was getting dark, fearing the bandits might escape under cover of darkness, I ordered the rocket artillery to begin a fierce bombardment.

After the shells had turned the low-lying area upside down, our army launched a general offensive. The soldiers charged towards the bandits like tigers descending a mountain.

Just then, Zhang Zuolin decided to take advantage of the darkness and organize the bandits to launch an attack. The two forces unexpectedly met, and the boundary of the battlefield immediately disappeared. The soldiers from both sides clashed, and a real hand-to-hand combat began.

The sounds of gunfire and artillery on the battlefield ceased, replaced by shouts, roars, the clash of weapons, the splattering of blades into flesh, and the tearing sounds of people biting each other's ears. Although the bandits were tenacious, they couldn't withstand the sheer number of soldiers. One couldn't defeat them, so two or three would go in. The soldiers were bloodthirsty, their bayonets bent, swinging their rifle butts to smash, grabbing bandits to slam them down, throwing stones, and shoving their feet into the ground. Zhang Zuolin, holding a bayonet-wielding rifle, charged forward shouting. He encountered a young soldier who had just enlisted. The young soldier, seeing Zhang Zuolin's fierce approach, stood there stunned. Just as Zhang Zuolin's bayonet was about to pierce his stomach, he snapped out of his daze. In a split second, Zhang Zuolin darted past him, and with a swift movement, Zhang Zuolin fell flat on his face. Now energized, he straddled Zhang Zuolin, grabbed his hair, and began banging his head against the ground repeatedly, counting as he did so: "One, two, three, four—one thousand one—"

Even as the soldiers cleaned up the battlefield, he was still mechanically counting. Zhang Zuolin's head beneath him was a bloody, mangled mess.

In this battle, we lost thirty-five soldiers, annihilating all two thousand four hundred and three enemies. The three who perished were Zhang Zuolin himself (not counting the soldiers he brought), and Baolin and Xiaoyumei, whose lower bodies were torn beyond recognition.

With the main bandit force wiped out, our army swiftly advanced, liberating Nanfen, Caohekou, Lianshanguan, Qingchengzi, and Tongyuanbao that very night, completely trapping the remaining enemy on the isolated main peak of Motianling.

Now, only the old, weak, and disabled bandits remained trapped on the mountaintop, holding key routes and sealing off strategic passes, attempting to hold out to the death.

I immediately ordered my soldiers to build dikes and dams, forcing the small streams flowing through Motianling to change course, cutting off Motianling's water supply. Then, I had the infantry assist, mobilizing men to pull and drag several cannons to the foot of Motianling, pointing their muzzles at the enemy's stronghold on the mountain.

I didn't rush to order the soldiers to fire. Instead, I had the army tightly surround the hilltop and then began a purge of the remaining bandits in the area. We meticulously combed through the area, uncovering the bandits' relationships, strongholds, and accomplices, and then dealt with them according to their severity, eliminating a number of bandit remnants. As for the remaining bandits, I strictly ordered that none be spared, and they be killed without exception!

At the same time, we also began land reform in these areas, distributing land and horses seized from the bandits to the farmers, gradually restoring production in the region and ensuring the livelihood of the people.

After besieging the bandits for twenty-eight days, the bandits on the mountain sent representatives down to negotiate surrender, but they also put forward a condition: that their lives, property, and the safety of the three Japanese soldiers be guaranteed.

I immediately ordered the artillery to bombard the enemy stronghold on the mountaintop, then told their negotiators, "You are traitors to the people. There are no conditions to negotiate now; you must surrender unconditionally and accept the people's judgment. If you do not surrender, we will wipe you out completely on the spot!"

The negotiators went back, but did not return that day. I immediately ordered the artillery to bombard again, and thousands of shells turned the mountaintop into a sea of fire. Our troops seized the opportunity to attack the mountaintop, only to find that all the bandits and the three Japanese had committed suicide by poison! According to the soldiers' reports, the water had killed them; they had not had a drop of water for nearly three days, and their will had long been broken by the water.

After eliminating the bandits, the Beijing Military Region troops returned, and Sheng Bao's troops began to focus on military training. Shu'er and I continued northeast to meet up with Zhen'er, Yu'er, Mei'er, and Xin'er, who were waiting for me, to continue my journey to the northern frontier.

But what I didn't know was that several assassins were sharpening their knives, waiting for me there, and a great risk was testing me!

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A Romantic Detective in the Qing Dynasty [Complete] - 15

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