As early as after the outbreak of rebellion in Suzhou, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Fu Ji, issued three orders, ordering all prefectures and counties to implement martial law, and the local civil and military forces learned of the situation of the rebellion in Suzhou, no one dared to slack off a little, even if they did not consider the people of the city, they should consider their own lives and lives, and they took active action, one hand was soft and the other was hard, while trying to appease the imams and gentry in the city, while closing the city gate and organizing the government service soldier Ding Zhuang Yong to patrol around the city.

After seeing the "Letter to the Hui Min" published in the major newspapers and the edict of the imperial court, the civil and military officials of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces were secretly relieved, but no one dared to slack off, but instead stepped up the pacification of the local imams and the Hui gentry and patrols in the city, and at the same time, they also sent people to send the newspapers to the Hui gentry or the Hui people in the countryside outside the city, and no one wanted to die before dawn.

Xi'an Mansion, Weicheng.

Weicheng towards the rain and light dust, the guest house is green and willow new. Persuade you to have a glass of wine, and there is no reason to go out of Yangguan in the west. Weicheng's fame is not because of this poem, but for the Hui people, Weicheng is also a holy place - the birthplace of Tianfang Sect education, and the birthplace of the Shaanxi School, the two major schools of Chinese for the Hui people.

During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the Tianfangjiao educator Hu Dengzhou set the characteristics of Tianfangjiao monastic education and private school education to create a very Chinese characteristics based on the civilian education of the Jingtang education, and free enrollment of students, teaching Arabic, Persian and the classics, with the Jingtang language, that is, ancient Chinese, Arabic, Persian words mixed into a unique form of expression, interpretation and explanation of the Tianfang classics, and in the teaching structure, curriculum, teaching form, assessment, graduation and other aspects of the formation of a set of systems, In one fell swoop, it laid the foundation for the education of the Tianfang Sect Scripture Hall.

Due to Shaanxi's distance from the political center, the developed economy, the large number of Hui people, and the popularization of Jingtang education, it soon attracted Tianfang students from all over the country to study, and Shaanxi naturally became the national Tianfang teaching dissemination and training center, and Weicheng was the center of Shaanxi.

Twenty-six squares in Weicheng, one square and one Zhenjiao temple, which shows the prosperity of Tianfang Sect in Weicheng!

Hujiaxiang Zhenjiao Temple, Pu'er Ma Imam in his early fifties put down the newspaper in his hand and sighed lightly, he is one of the nine disciples of Hu Dengzhou, named Ma Shouqing, highly respected in the Tianfang Sect, his disciples are all over Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, they are all famous imams in various places, Suzhou is in turmoil, many disciples have letters, and want to take the opportunity to start an incident.

In this regard, he has been quite hesitant in his heart, for the thoughts of the disciples, he is very clear, at present, the Qing Dynasty is facing the implementation of constitutional government, although it is not a change of dynasty, but it is also an extremely important change, once the implementation of the constitution, the emperor will become a puppet, the real control of the real power should be the cabinet, or Yuan Qi is more appropriate.

Although the chief treasurer of Yuan Qi proposed equality and freedom of belief for all ethnic groups, in fact, the Hui people were also discriminated against and excluded, and the large-scale immigration from Shaanxi and Gansu to Xinjiang and Anxi did not want the Hui people.

The local trial of constitutionalism and the establishment of advisory bureaus, the Hui people were also excluded, not to mention the members of the Senior Affairs Yuan, and even the members of the provincial advisory bureau did not have a single Hui people, and he was also extremely angry about this, and it was clear that Yuan Qi also said one thing and did another.

Moreover, this time, Yuanqi's northwest army marched west and captured Mashhad, and I heard that not only did it seriously damage Mashhad City, but also the followers of the Tianfang Sect also suffered heavy casualties, which is enough to show Yuanqi's attitude towards the Tianfang Sect.

The sudden outbreak of rebellion in Suzhou, all the disciples felt that it was a rare opportunity, and wanted to take advantage of the emptiness of the Shaanxi and Gansu forces, the failure of the Yuanqi army to return to the west, and the bad winter weather to make trouble, expand the influence, and strive for the legitimate rights and interests of the Hui people, which he agreed.

However, what he is worried about is that once the situation expands, there will be a situation that is difficult to control, after all, there have been too many contradictions accumulated between the Hui and Han over the years, once they break out, I am afraid that no one can control them, and what worries him even more is Yuan Qi's attitude, Yuan Qi's cruelty to foreign people He has heard of it, if he really wants to make things bigger, the Hui people in Shaanxi and Gansu may suffer a devastating blow! That's why hesitation!

Seeing that he was silent, his disciple Wang Jiapeng said softly: "Yi Zhixiang only published the "Letter to the People", but did not send troops, it is obvious that he can't draw troops, after all, he still has to guard against the imperial court, it is winter now, the north and northwest have begun to snow, the imperial court dispatched 20,000 new troops from Beijing to Shaanxi, and there are no ten days and eight days to enter Shaanxi and Gansu.

If people sabotage the railway along the way, a delay of a month is not a problem, and a month is enough to make the whole of Shaanxi and Gansu into a pot of porridge. ”

"Imam Ma, you can't hesitate any longer." Imam Su Taikang said in a deep voice: "It is very likely that the imperial court will implement constitutional government as soon as the beginning of the year, this is our last chance, and we cannot be continued to suppress and ostracize." ”

Someone immediately chimed in: "What I said is that the implementation of constitutional government by the imperial court is a rare opportunity for us, and we Hui people must take a seat in the Consultative Council and the Information Council." ”

After slowly glancing at everyone, Ma Shouqing spoke: "The implementation of constitutional government is not a change of dynasty, but it is better than a change of dynasty, for us, it is indeed a rare opportunity to fight for political rights and interests, and I am also unwilling to miss this opportunity."

However, have you ever thought about what the result will be once Shaanxi and Gansu are in chaos? Look at Suzhou, it's already red-eyed, and it's impossible to stop it now. ”

Speaking of this, he sighed lightly, "It's easy to mess up, but which of you is sure that you can control the situation?" Suzhou has killed so many people, there is no room for recovery, and there can be no more chaos, otherwise the entire Hui people in Shaanxi and Gansu may suffer an extermination blow! We can't afford to take that risk.

Tianjin lesson case, how did Yuan Qi deal with it, you should all know it, more than 20 foreigners died, a few churches were burned, Yuan Qi killed more than 150 people, and exiled more than 500 people, do you think that Yuan Qi is afraid of foreigners?

In addition, Yuan Qi's conquest of the Wa Kingdom, you should have heard of this, right? But do you know that Yuanqi slaughtered 30 million people in the entire Wa Kingdom!

Now that Yuanqi is expanding abroad, it needs a steady stream of immigrants, especially Han Chinese! If there were mass casualties among the Han people in Shaanxi and Gansu, what would be the result, you say? ”

Hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but look at each other, Su Shun was indeed red-eyed, even if he wanted to stop it, he couldn't stop it, and no one dared to guarantee that once the chaos broke out, he could still control the situation, after all, the Hui people were not the army, and it was impossible to ban it.

Yuanqi's large-scale immigration is also a fact, and he has been immigrating to the northwest in a steady stream over the years, if there are large-scale casualties among the Han people in Shaanxi and Gansu, how can Yuanqi not be angry with the Hui people?

Thinking about Yuan Qi's ruthlessness to the outside world and the harshness of handling the Tianjin teaching case, it seems that it is not impossible to exterminate the Hui people in Shaanxi and Gansu, everyone shuddered, and the room was suddenly quiet.

After a while, someone said timidly: "Just give up?" ”

"Differently!" Ma Shouqing said in a deep voice: "Publicly accuse the Hui people of Suzhou of violating the doctrine and killing innocents indiscriminately, and call on all Hui people to remain calm and take legitimate and moderate means to fight for the rights and interests they deserve." We should not expect to be revered like Buddhism, nor should we be discriminated against, excluded or suppressed, and since it is freedom of religious belief, religion should also be equal. ”

Wang Jiapeng said softly: "Imam Ma, if we do this, will we be discriminated against and ostracized by other sects?" ”

"For the sake of the prosperity of the sect, what is the weight of enduring humiliation for a while?" Ma Shouqing said in a deep voice: "Once we can win seats in the Consultative Council and the Senior Yuan, the status of the Hui people will be greatly improved. ”

Gansu Province, Ningxia Prefecture, Lingzhou, Jinjibao.

The fifth-generation leader of the Tianfang Protestant Church, the chief imam, Ma Hualong, stood on the tall and thick wall of Jinjibao with a gloomy face and looked at the direction of Suzhou, he really didn't expect that the chaos in Suzhou had shaken the government and the opposition in just three days, and the court and Yuan Qi reacted so quickly.

Ma Hualong was born in a religious family, from his great-grandfather Seven Imam to him, they are all famous imams in Lingzhou, and his grandfather Ma Datian is a student of Ma Mingxin, and his family has always inherited Ma Mingxin's new religion.

Proficient in Arabic, Persian, Chinese, and passionate about martial arts, Ma Hualong, who can be called both civil and martial arts, took charge of the sect at the age of forty and became the fifth generation of the sect leader, the chief imam, in addition to this identity, he is also a famous Hui gentry in Lingzhou, in order to facilitate exchanges with the government, he also donated a thousand general fictitious titles.

In the 20 years he was in charge of the sect, he was diligent in business, set up a church, and actively cultivated all kinds of talents, not only in Lingzhou and Ningxia to open up contacts but also accumulated huge wealth, the church is full of talents, so that in his hands the Protestant religion can be carried forward again, to reach a prosperous situation.

The Hui people in Suzhou rioted and captured Suzhou, he has been paying close attention, he knows better than anyone how empty the troops of Shaanxi and Gansu are, but the reaction of the imperial court is really too fast, not only the reaction is fast, but also attaches great importance to it, which makes him very surprised and very frustrated!

He deeply felt that the times were different, and the rapid development of cable telegraph and railways had made the originally remote Gansu no longer remote!

Although the sect was prosperous, and he himself was a well-known gentry in Lingzhou, because of the suppression and prevention of Tianfang Religion, especially Protestantism, by the imperial court and local officials, he became the target of serious ostracism.

The Qing court had been pursuing a high-pressure policy against Protestantism since Qianlong, and he hoped that the implementation of constitutional government would change this unfavorable situation, but he was a little frustrated that even the members of the Consultative Council could not mix.

"The Thirteenth Lady ——。" The grand imam, Yang Huaizhen, hurriedly greeted him and handed over a telegram, "There are signs that Yuan Qi has mobilized troops and horses from Jiangning and Xuzhou to Xi'an. It seems that for the Suzhou Rebellion, Yuan Qi and the imperial court did not attach general importance. ”

After reading the telegram, Ma Hualong laughed and said: "Shaanxi and Gansu are empty, and there are many Hui people, they are worried that the chaos will be like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and they will be out of control." ”

Yang Huaizhen said tentatively: "With the prestige of the Thirteenth Master, if you raise your arms and exhale, it will inevitably be a response from everyone. ”

Glancing at him, Ma Hualong said in a light tone: "The Yuanqi New Army and the Eight Banners New Army have sent troops one after another, and that group of fools in Suzhou will not be able to jump for a few days, I just hope that I can burn high incense without being implicated." ”

"Implicated?" Yang Huaizhen hesitated and said, "The imperial court will not implicate the entire Hui people in Shaanxi and Gansu, right?" ”

"The blood of Suzhou City is flowing like a river, and the imperial court and Yuan Qi are not familiar with the situation of the Heavenly Fang Sect, so it is difficult to say that they will not be implicated." Ma Hualong said faintly: "Besides, our Protestants have always been the target of the imperial court's key suppression. ”

"What then?" Yang Huaizhen hesitated and said, "Strike first?" ”

"Let's see." Ma Hualong let out a long sigh, "There is no need to take risks unless it is absolutely necessary, whether it is the Eight Banners New Army or the Yuanqi New Army, they are not comparable to the Eight Banners Green Battalion in Shaanxi and Gansu, and the gap is not a star and a half." ”

After a pause, he instructed: "Pass the order, and the children in the sect must follow the rules during this time." In addition, prepare a few fast horses, I will go to Ningxia Fucheng. ”

What are you going to do in Fucheng at this juncture? Yang Huaizhen hesitated for a moment before saying: "Thirteenth Master, the city gates of Fucheng County are now closed, and the precautions are ........ ”

"It doesn't matter. I went into the city alone. Ma Hualong said in a deep voice: "Suzhou back to chaos, we can take the initiative to ask Ying to quell the chaos, no matter how bad it is, we have to donate some money and food to show our attitude, one is to avoid being implicated, and second, the imperial court and Yuan Qi attach so much importance to the rebellion, I think it may be an opportunity for us to ........" ”

Opportunity? What chances? Yang Huaizhen didn't react for a while, Ma Hualong didn't mean to explain, he walked down the wall quickly, he not only wanted to go to Fucheng, but if he had the opportunity, he also planned to go to Lanzhou to try his luck.

Shanghai, Zhennan Wangfu, Changle Book House.

Cao Gensheng walked into the room quickly, and reported loudly: "The big treasurer, Shaanxi Governor Mu Tushan called, according to the Xi'an prefect's report, Ma Shouqing, the great imam of Weicheng of the Tianfang Sect, hopes to publish an article in the Qinchuan Daily, openly accusing the Hui people of Suzhou of violating the doctrine and killing innocents indiscriminately, and calling on all the Hui people to remain calm and take legitimate and moderate means to fight for the rights and interests they deserve. ”

"I've come to the door." Yi Zhishu smiled, took the telegram and glanced at it a few times before he said, "Who is this Ma Shouqing?" What is his status within the Heavenly Fang Sect? Don't be a person who sells fame and reputation, but you can laugh and be generous. ”

Cao Gensheng hurriedly said: "The subordinates immediately called back, and the Xi'an prefect reported the other party's identity in the Tianfang Sect." ”

"Agree first!" Yi Zhizhi said: "If the other party's identity is sufficient, you can invite him to Shanghai, I will personally meet him, and send the original words to the prefect of Xi'an." ”

"Ordinary imams don't have the courage and courage to do so." Zhao Liewen said with a smile: "Congratulations to the big shopkeeper, with this Ma Shouqing writing publicly, Shaanxi and Gansu will not break out into large-scale rebellion." ”