Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

As early as after the Western Allied Forces arrived in the Great Qian Dynasty, the Green Gang was preparing to rise up in rebellion.

In the beginning, the Green Gang was established to defend against foreign enemies.

but,

As time went by, people's hearts became unpredictable, and the higher-ups of the Green Gang began to become arrogant.

Finally, the nature of it changed.

Almost all the various underworld forces in Zhejiang Province were incorporated into the Green Gang.

in addition,

All the Daqian garrison troops in eastern Zhejiang were basically controlled by the Green Gang.

The main forces were concentrated in the area surrounding Hangzhou Prefecture, with the left and right armies totaling more than 200,000 troops.

The vast majority of them joined the Green Gang, and high-ranking military officers, as well as many officials in Zhejiang and lower-ranking government officials, all had intricate connections with the Green Gang.

That's how it is in the eastern Zhejiang region.

As long as the Green Gang gives an order, everything will be met with overwhelming support.

At Kou Sanniang's command, the flag of Hangzhou Prefecture in eastern Zhejiang was immediately changed.

The troops stationed by the Daqian government in eastern Zhejiang were all incorporated into the Green Gang and no longer obeyed the orders of the Daqian Ministry of War.

Although they may look like a disorganized rabble, their actual combat strength is not low.

not to mention,
Many of the rebels were martial arts masters.

After the Green Gang promised them benefits, these江湖人 (jianghu people) became extremely fierce in combat.

therefore,

After the Green Gang launched their rebellion in eastern Zhejiang, they swept through the city and captured Hangzhou in one fell swoop with great success, encountering almost no obstacles.

After Hangzhou was captured, other parts of eastern Zhejiang not only did not launch a rebellion, but instead responded enthusiastically.

In less than a month,
After the Green Gang raised its banner, it swept across the land, directly occupying Shaoxing, Ningbo, Jiaxing and other places, and taking over the entire eastern Zhejiang region.

The presence of over 200,000 troops greatly inflated the egos of all the high-ranking members of the Green Gang.

This is also a major reason why the Green Gang wanted to head north to attack Huzhou, and then attack Suzhou and Nanjing.

The human heart is not enough for a snake to swallow an elephant!
The Green Gang no longer wanted just eastern Zhejiang, but the entire Jiangnan region.

but,

Just as the Green Gang was brimming with ambition, Ximentang suddenly rose to prominence.

Ximen Tang not only defeated the Western Allied Forces, but also drove the Japanese to flee in terror.

Then,

Ximentang stationed troops in Songjiang Prefecture and drove the Green Gang and all other forces out of Songjiang Prefecture.

and,

In suppressing the rebellion in Hanzhong, Ximen Tang even defeated Li Ben, the Prince of Han.

It must be said that Ximen Tang's dominance made the Green Gang extremely wary.

therefore,

Finally, the Green Gang's top brass decided to abandon the attack on Nanjing.

Immediately afterwards, the Green Gang rebels focused their attacks on Suzhou Prefecture and Huzhou.

Taking Suzhou Prefecture would allow them to exert a restraining effect on Songjiang Prefecture and Jinling.

Once the connection between Jinling and Songjiang Prefecture is severed, the chances of success in attacking Jinling will be very high.

Break each!

This was the tactical plan adopted by the Green Gang.

The leader of the rebel vanguard battalion responsible for attacking Suzhou was named Liao Manxing.

He was a hall master of the Green Gang. This time, leading a thousand soldiers was just a decoy. There were a total of five thousand people, who surrounded the enemy from three different places.

Many of these people were key members and elites of the Green Gang, possessing exceptional skills.

The commander in charge of attacking Suzhou was Shi Jingtang, an elder of the Green Gang, who led an army of 50,000 men from Hangzhou Prefecture, following closely behind.

Although Liao Manxing had always heard that Ximentang was very powerful.

but,

He had never seen Ximentang's cannons before, nor had he fought against the Kwantung Army or the Western Allied Army.

Therefore,
He scoffed at Ximentang's true fighting ability, believing that it was largely exaggerated.

He led his vanguard of 5,000 men to approach Suzhou Prefecture from three different locations, but unexpectedly encountered the troops of Meng Hu of Ximentang.

From the telescope,
He saw that Ximentang had begun to set up artillery formations, intending to bombard his 1,000 vanguard battalion.

In terms of numbers, Ximentang only had about five thousand people, which was about the same as their own three groups of people.

Therefore,
Liao Manxing immediately ordered all his soldiers to form ranks and prepare for battle.

The difference is obvious from the way the two sides line up.

The rebels' formation was orderly and did not appear scattered.

but,

Ximentang's battle formation far surpassed that of the rebels, maintaining a very high level of combat proficiency.

The two sides began to close the distance.

at the same time,

Meng Hu also saw that the rebel army consisted of three groups, not just the thousand people he had initially seen, but a full five thousand.

All the soldiers of Ximentang had experienced the baptism of bloody battles.

Meng Hu followed Chen Jie from Shandong, all the way to Songjiang Prefecture, then from Songjiang Prefecture to Hanzhong, and now they have arrived in Suzhou Prefecture.

He was adept at Ximen Tang's fighting style and had gained sufficient experience.

When they saw the vanguard of the rebel army enter the range of Ximentang's artillery,

Without any hesitation, Meng Hu immediately ordered the cannons to fire!
"On your marks, get set—!"

"fire!"

At a command, one hundred mortars opened fire!
Boom—boom—!
The sound of mortar fire immediately echoed throughout the outskirts of Suzhou Prefecture.

The rebels were stunned when they heard the 'whooshing' sound overhead.

Then,

The sky was filled with a dense barrage of shells, like a storm, raining down on the rebel vanguard battalion's battle formation.

The elite rebels charging at the forefront let out a pitiful howl the moment the shells hit their targets.

The power of the artillery was on full display at this moment.

Blood, smoke, shockwaves, shrapnel, sand, and other debris rapidly spread outwards.

Obviously,

The rebels never expected that Ximentang's cannons would be so terrifyingly powerful.

When they saw more than a thousand men charging at the forefront being bombarded by artillery and instantly reduced to ashes,

hiss--!
Everyone else couldn't help but tremble, exchanging bewildered glances.

How to fight this?
The two sides were still several kilometers apart, and more than a thousand people were killed in one fell swoop.

The shelling from Ximentang will not cease simply because the rebels stop.

The second round of shelling began quickly, moving the distance forward by two hundred meters.

Amid Meng Hu's shouts, the artillery battalion's mortars roared like enraged beasts.

The third round, the fourth round, the fifth round—!
A round of artillery fire will be carried out every ten seconds.

This is why Meng Hu only deployed one hundred cannons.

If too many mortars are deployed, there will be a huge waste of shells.

The current method of cyclical artillery bombardment is not only less wasteful, but also has a great deterrent effect on the enemy.

Under continuous shelling, the shells fell in parabolic arcs, relentlessly bombarding the rebel positions.

The elite vanguard of the rebel army fell one after another like wheat being harvested, mercilessly reaped.

Smoke filled the air, and shockwaves overturned everything around them.

The battlefield was filled with pitiful howls, cries, and other sounds.

The two armies were several kilometers apart.

but,

In just three minutes, more than 3,000 rebels were killed.

At first glance, the scene was one of corpses strewn across the land.

Moreover, thousands of rebel soldiers were seriously wounded, hit by shrapnel or shockwaves, and lay on the ground screaming in agony.

Many of the rebels were soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty, former Great Qian garrison troops in eastern Zhejiang.

They had witnessed the power of Western cannons.

As long as the distance is far enough, Western cannons, with their limited range and low accuracy, are not particularly dangerous.

but,

They never expected that Simon's mortars could unleash such terrifying power.

The firepower was too intense, and the bombardment was continuous, wave after wave.

Judging from the frequency of the bombings, although there were ten-second intervals, the side being bombed couldn't feel the pause at all. The rebels, originally grouped together with the Green Gang's forces, weren't very strong in combat.

If they win the battle and gain an absolute advantage, they will be able to unleash their full fighting power and crush their opponents as they charge forward with a roar.

but,

After being bombed and thrown into chaos, and subjected to relentless bombing, they were terrified when facing adversity.

After having eighty percent of their men destroyed by Ximentang's artillery battalion, they were so terrified that they fled in panic, no longer daring to charge forward.

"Run-!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, and the rebels' formation was thrown into complete chaos.

In less than a minute,
The remaining rebel soldiers turned and ran.

If you don't run now, when will you wait?
The cannons at Ximentang are terrifying; continuing forward will only lead to certain death.

Liao Manxing couldn't help but shout loudly, wanting to reorganize the vanguard battalion.

but,

Nobody listened to him; saving their own lives was the priority.

After seeing that the rebel army had been completely crushed, Meng Hu immediately ordered Ximentang's assault battalion to launch a full-scale attack.

The rebels dared not fight back and were utterly defeated, fleeing in disarray.

but,

Upon witnessing this scene, Meng Hu did not order a pursuit.

Don't pursue a cornered enemy; avoid casualties!
Moreover, Ximen Tang's army was there to assist in the defense of Suzhou, not to entangle with the rebels outside the city.

Therefore,
Meng Hu immediately ordered a halt to the pursuit, intending to enter Suzhou City first.

but,

When Ximen Tang's army arrived at the walls of Suzhou, they saw the Daqian army defending the city.

Unexpectedly, after the notification was issued, the city gates of Suzhou were not opened. Instead, Meng Hu led Ximentang's army to set up camp outside the city and did not allow any troops to enter.

"What's going on? Wasn't it said that Suzhou Prefecture was besieged and needed reinforcements?"

"I brought my troops here to reinforce the city, and they won't let me in?"

"Are these guys crazy?"

When Meng Hu heard the news coming from inside the city, he felt that something was wrong.

He thought for a moment, then said nothing more. Instead, he led Ximentang's army to garrison on the outskirts of Suzhou Prefecture and reported the situation to Chen Jie.
-

Inside Suzhou city.

On the street, a group of government officials walked swaggering about.

They held up signs that read "Respect" and "Avoidance," asking people on both sides of the street to make way.

In the middle of the officials' procession was a sedan chair.

Surrounding the sedan chair were some of the top martial arts masters.

Judging from the imposing presence, the person inside the sedan chair must be of extraordinary status.

Su Muyang!
The Prefect of Suzhou Prefecture in the Great Qian Dynasty, holding the official rank of fourth grade.

at this time,

Su Muyang sat inside the sedan chair carried by eight men, his brows furrowed and his face clouded with worry.

The situation in Jiangnan is unpredictable!

He didn't know what to do next.

A dozen minutes later, the sedan chair carried by eight men came to a stop.

An attendant outside the sedan chair whispered, "My lord, we have arrived."

call--!
Su Muyang couldn't help but take a deep breath and look up at the sky.

He said in a deep voice, "Has the invitation to visit been sent yet?"

The attendant nodded and replied, "Reporting to your Excellency, the message has been relayed!"

Upon hearing this, Su Muyang nodded slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Okay, that's good. Let's wait!"

The sedan chair stopped at the entrance of a large mansion.

The officials waited respectfully outside the mansion, not daring to make a sound.

The main gate of the mansion was tightly closed, and a pair of stone lions at the entrance were imposing.

Su Muyang stepped out of the sedan chair, looked up at the mansion, took a deep breath, and waited quietly.

He showed no impatience or arrogance, but rather appeared very patient and low-key.

Five minutes later.

Click——!
The gates of the mansion opened, and a eunuch walked out, approached Su Muyang, and whispered:

"Lord Su, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Eunuch Wang invites you in!"

original,

The owner of this grand mansion is the person that Su Muyang, the prefect of Suzhou, is going to visit today.

Wang Lunzheng, Suzhou Prefectural Textile Commissioner, and Director of the Imperial Household Department.

Since ancient times, Suzhou in Jiangnan has been the textile manufacturing center of the Great Qian Dynasty.

This area is famous for its silk production and is the core area for weaving in eastern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu.

Five hundred years ago, the Great Qian Dynasty established a Textile Bureau in Suzhou, and assigned many artisans and officials to oversee and manage the textile production there.
Generally speaking, silk was supplied to the royal palace and was very expensive.

To avoid a shortage of silk, the imperial court centrally managed the weaving of silk and other fabrics.

of course,

It was more of a matter of interests, as silk was a special supply for the imperial palace.

This is why the Suzhou Textile Bureau held considerable weight within the Great Qian Dynasty, and the person in charge of the Textile Bureau was usually an imperial envoy from the palace.

As time went on, Westerners became very interested in the silk trade.

Therefore,
For overseas trade, and also to obtain more silver dollars for the palace.

The imperial palace specially appointed an imperial steward, who led dozens of people, to be in charge of the management of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau.

As silk production increased year by year, the Daqian Dynasty earned a lot of silver dollars.

Even many of the compensation payments made by the Daqian Dynasty to foreign powers came from the Jiangnan Textile Bureau.

Westerners were particularly interested in silk and were willing to use guns and cannons to barter for it, which led to a gradual contraction in the demand for silk in the royal palace.

Only true members of the royal family were entitled to use silk.

Ordinary officials of the imperial court could not easily use silk, otherwise they would easily be investigated by the palace.

therefore,

Throughout the entire Jiangnan region, Su Muyang, the prefect of Suzhou, was not the most powerful person.

Although Wang Lunzheng was only an official in charge of the Ministry of Internal and External Affairs, his official position was not high.

but,

He was an imperial envoy, in charge not only of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, but also of all matters, large and small, in Suzhou.

Over time, his importance naturally grew.

Even Su Muyang had to compromise, and he had to listen to Wang Lunzheng's opinions on many things.

Su Muyang followed a eunuch into the mansion.

This was not his first time visiting Eunuch Wang's residence, but each time he entered, he was deeply moved.

The entire mansion was magnificent and exceptionally luxuriously decorated.

The surrounding area is filled with artificial hills, exuding a luxurious yet domineering aura.

Entering it is like entering a royal palace; many of the decorations are even tributes from the royal palace.

"Damn it, how could the Great Qian Dynasty not decline?!"

"A eunuch actually dared to act arrogantly and domineeringly in the richest part of Jiangnan, constantly expanding his own power."

"Of all the money we've made over the years, only one-fifth went into the palace; the other four-fifths all ended up in the pocket of a eunuch."

"He has now accumulated enough wealth to buy the entire city of Suzhou, and he lives like an emperor."

"If the Great Qian Dynasty allows these people to control the government, it would be an injustice if it didn't fall!"

well--!
Su Muyang looked around at everything and sighed deeply.

Walk along a path, climb a marble staircase, and pass through a garden.

At last,
Su Muyang arrived at an exquisitely beautiful flower-filled pavilion.

That's right,

This is a garden full of flowers, with a uniquely designed pavilion in the middle, built by the water.

Walking among the sea of ​​flowers gives one a feeling of tranquility and joy.

at this time,

Wang Lun was lying on a wooden chair, his eyes slightly closed, taking one puff after another of opium.

hiss--!
He took a deep drag of his opium, exhaled a puff of smoke with a look of ecstasy, and appeared somewhat dazed.

Beside him, a woman dressed in silk was helping him light his opium and massaging his legs. (End of Chapter)