In the middle of the night on a winter day, fog gradually rose on the Huai River, and the vision that was still clear gradually became blurred. Each ship of the water detachment hung a string of bright signal lights, and under the shroud of the fog, it originally looked like a string of beautiful colored pearls, but as the fog became thicker and thicker, the lights near gradually dimmed, and some of the lights in the distance had disappeared into the fog.

Zhang Yu stood quietly on the bow of his boat, looking at the lights. If it was daylight, all he could see was a stunning fleet. The main fleet is composed of a whole 120 large ships, including the captured official ships, and when such a large fleet marches on the Huai River in an orderly manner, I am afraid that only Yan Fu can maintain his usual calmness, and perhaps Chen Ke can also be regarded as a person who is not surprised. In addition to these two people, including Zhang Yu, the head of the water detachment, the cadres and fighters who participated in this operation all felt a kind of shock, and it is no exaggeration to say that such a large fleet has never appeared on the Huai River in a hundred years.

The fleet was out of sight, even with binoculars. Each ship was loaded with people and supplies, and the waterline was kept extremely low. The war depleted the military strength and material reserves of the base areas. As a member of the Military Commission, Zhang Yu knew very well that everything in front of him was already all the forces in the base area that could carry out long-distance marches and fight. Not only these 3,500 soldiers, but enough supplies for the troops to operate outside for a month and a half, there are 200,000 catties of food. All kinds of weapons and ammunition have been besieged and equipped, filling the fleet. Not even enough food could be fully transported by ship.

Zhang Yu knew very well that no matter whether the Battle of Anqing could be won or not, in the next six months, the People's Revolutionary Army would only rely on its own reserves unless it had other ways to supply food, and the revolutionary army could only fight in Fengyang Mansion and its surroundings.

Of the 3,500 warriors, 3,000 were ready to fight. 1500 fighters with a variety of rifles. The rest of the warriors were armed only with spears and broadswords. A further 500 are non-combatants of all kinds, including shipwrights and civilians. They are also able to go into battle if in a critical moment. But no one wanted to see such a situation, and if this group of people also joined the battle, whether the battle was won or not, it would mean that the BJ's expedition had exhausted all its elite.

Zhang Yu took his gaze back from the view, night sailing is a very dangerous thing, the vision is not clear, the unknowable changes in the waterway, and all kinds of other problems that will be suddenly encountered in reality. Even if the water detachment had sufficient experience in marching, it would not have been possible for such a large fleet to sail at night without the many naval knowledge and skills taught to everyone by Yan Fu, the principal of the Beiyang Naval Academy. Now Yan Fu is on night duty, and he commands the baggage and pathfinding teams at the forefront of the fleet, specifying the speed and route for the follow-up fleet. Yan Fu is 53 years old this year, such an old man who is more than half a hundred years old, but he has the physical strength and perseverance that even Zhang Yu has to marvel at, and he commands all night on the hardest vanguard fleet.

The twelfth ship behind Zhang Yu carried the headquarters of the Anqing Campaign. The founders of the People's Revolutionary Army were all on that ship. Chen Ke, Hua Xiongmao, He Zudao, Chai Qingguo, and others all personally participated in this campaign. Even Shang Yuan, Chen Tianhua, and a number of non-military party members volunteered to participate in the battle. For the Anqing Campaign, the troops that can fight are pouring out. The river wind was very cold, Zhang Yu touched the fastened wind and discipline buckle, there was no more way to resist the cold. But he didn't want to go back to the cabin to escape the cold. He originally thought that the Battle of Anqing would at most let Hua Xiongmao and He Zudao lead the team, but he never imagined that Chen Ke would personally lead the team. There are also so many party members who also volunteered to fight.

When the critical moment comes, it's time for me to lead the team up, right? Such a thought popped up in Zhang Yu's mind. What made Zhang Yu himself strange was that he didn't have the slightest fear of such a result. Of course, there was not the slightest passion. This idea of one's own life and death was quickly put behind him. Zhang Yu even closed his eyes and began to constantly recall in his mind the tactics determined at the military meeting. The cold wind blew on the military uniform, and the cold air through the seams of the cloth made Zhang Yu chill for a while. But thinking about tactics in his mind, Zhang Yu gradually couldn't even feel the cold. I don't know how long it took, until the signal light passed on the new instructions, and the sailor moved the rudder and caused the hull to shake, which interrupted Zhang Yu's train of thought.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yu asked subconsciously.

"It's almost time to reach Hongze Lake, and the waterway situation has changed a bit." The signalman replied immediately. As he spoke, the signalman couldn't help but rub his hands. The river was too cold in winter, and Zhang Yu stood at the bow of the boat, and the signalman did not dare to go back to the cabin to avoid the cold. Now the uniforms of the troops are not thick, and there are no gloves and other equipment, which have been occupied for so long that the signalmen have been frozen.

Zhang Yu wanted to see the movements of other ships, but the fog was too thick, and he couldn't see anything clearly except for a few boats in front and behind. He didn't waste any time, and straightforwardly chose to go back to the cabin and sleep for a while. Zhang Yu is responsible for the operation of the fleet during the day.

After daybreak, the flotilla traveled another section to reach a supply point. This time, the troop marched along the Huai River into Hongze Lake. After entering the three rivers, then entering Gaoyou Lake from the three rivers, passing through Yangzhou, and entering the Yangtze River water system. Then go upstream, and pass through Nanjing to reach Wuhu. From Shouzhou to Hongze Lake, it has been completely controlled by the People's Party. When they reached the outlet of Sanhe and Hongze Lake, they were completely out of the People's Party's sphere of influence. The BJP has never used such a large fleet. This Anqing campaign was actually a real expedition. After the Anqing Campaign, regardless of victory or defeat, the troops had to return to the base area by land. The fleet will return before the campaign is launched.

This put a heavy strain on logistics, and the troops prepared multiple supply points in advance from the base area to Sanhe, so that the troops could try not to consume their own food before entering Gaoyou Lake.

If the troops are on the ship all the time, it is very exhausting to combat power. At least when they can eat, the troops still try to get off the boat and stretch their muscles as much as possible.

The senior cadres of the People's Party have always eaten, lived and worked with the grassroots units, and the officers and men are very familiar with each other. Chen Ke has not been at the grassroots level for a short time, and even now that Chen Ke's title has changed from Brigade Commander Chen to Secretary Chen, many soldiers do not understand the difference between these two official positions. Everyone thinks that it is enough to know that the beloved Brigadier Chen Ke is the biggest official in the base area.

So Chen Ke lined up with his comrades to receive the meal, and the soldiers were not surprised at all. Many soldiers came to Hongze Lake for the first time, and they all chattered when they looked at this strange wilderness and the endless lake.

"Brigade Commander Chen, when can we get to Anqing?" A fighter asked.

"It's going to take a few days." Chen Ke said it in a very general way.

"Who is bigger in Anqing than Fengyang Mansion?" The warrior continued.

Someone immediately interjected, "Anqing is definitely bigger than Fengyang Mansion." Didn't the commissar say it all? ”

Chen Ke said with a smile: "The political commissars are right, Anqing is bigger than Fengyang Mansion. ”

While queuing up to receive the meal, Chen Ke listened to the gossip of the soldiers. Although he really wants to be at the grassroots level, Chen Ke really doesn't have the time and energy now. Whenever he has time, Chen Ke still likes to have more contact with the fighters. This place in Anhui has always been known as a place where the people are fierce, and Chen Ke thought that he would encounter a place as unreasonable as bandits. But after he really arrived in Fengtai County, he found that he was thinking wrong. The so-called fierce folk style is more manifested in the courage to speak and do, and the verbal morality. There is not much cooperation with the government. However, in practice, the characteristics of small farmers, which are unique to quick success, are vividly embodied, and everything must be realized immediately. There is a kind of "righteousness" that you have to take out all your possessions and share them with your brothers.

On the other hand, this ethos has created a firm obedience to absolute violence. The People's Party is extremely disciplined, and persuasion education is persuasion education, but persuasion education does not mean that it can be left to its own devices. If it is a problem caused by lifestyle habits, it can be persuaded to educate, criticize and self-criticize. The troops are never tolerant of those who maliciously violate military discipline. The level that should be leveled, the kill that should be killed.

The rations and treatment promised by the People's Party and the troops have always been strictly honored. Discipline was also repeatedly emphasized, and under such circumstances, the troops did not encounter too many problems. The party leads everyone to survive and live, and it would be too strange if there are still people who oppose it.

Therefore, when it comes to fighting, the political work system of the army was quite a headache during this mobilization. How can the strategic significance of Anqing be stated in words that everyone can understand? In fact, many soldiers have never even heard of the name Anqing, let alone have any geographical concept of the Yangtze River. As for the strategic significance of the fight against Anqing, the impact on China, the impact on the revolution. The fighters had no idea at all. Not to mention the soldiers, many high-ranking cadres felt that this battle was too dangerous, if it weren't for Chen Ke's absolute prestige and sufficient analysis, everyone would not have imagined going all the way to fight Anqing.

In this case, how to make the soldiers understand the significance of fighting Anqing is really a big headache for the political commissars. All kinds of self-justifying and far-fetched slogans have come out one after another, even "Lay down Anqing, open to eat meat." "This kind of apolitical talk is here. In the end, everyone's opinions were unified, "After fighting tigers and mice." ”

Anqing, as the center of Manchu rule in Anhui, can even be conquered by Anqing, and other places are not worth mentioning. On the pre-war mobilization, He Zudao said passionately: "People say that the tiger's butt can't be touched." But Anqing is not a real tiger at all, they are paper tigers. For this paper tiger, we just want to touch it. Not only do we have to touch, but we also have to fight, and we have to beat this paper tiger to death. Kill this paper tiger, and the government in other places is a mouse. No one dares to bully us ordinary people anymore. ”

It seems that the political commissars have indeed done their work, and Chen Ke did not see any fear of war in the troops during the entire meal. The soldiers who participated in this expedition had all fought and experienced a certain degree of life and death tests, which was certainly one of the reasons. However, Chen Ke was a little suspicious that this attitude of the entire army had something to do with the "fierce customs of the people."

After eating, the troops went on a short restorative training before boarding the ship to continue the expedition. By the afternoon of the next day at the latest, the troops will have completely entered the "enemy-occupied zone." At that time, the work of opening the road completely depended on the official ships of Puguanshui to support the façade.

On February 1, 1907, the flotilla arrived at the first military target, Chizhoufu. The drama of the visit of the "New Army and the Association of the People's Republic of China" has been staged again without any problems. The official system and the backward means of communication, the prefect of Chizhou did not know that the doom was coming, he politely received the commander of the new army, everyone in the official hall on the stool did not sit on the buttocks, outside remembered the shouting of killing. The prefect of Chizhou was stunned, and Pu Guanshui pulled out a pistol to force the prefect. In less than two hours, the battle was over. All the yamen of Chizhou Mansion were broken. Almost none of the officials, big or small, have slipped through the net.

Chen Ke did not follow Puguanshui into the city, and he met again by the river with Tao Chengzhang, who he hadn't seen for more than a year. The two have never met a few times, so naturally they can't talk about any friendship. Even if it is a cooperative relationship, Chen Ke can only say that he is using Tao Chengzhang. As for Tao Chengzhang's desire to use Chen Ke, even if Chen Ke knew it, he still didn't care.

"Mr. Tao, long time no see." Chen Ke generously stretched out his hand.

"Mr. Wen Qing is really a hero." Tao Chengzhang couldn't think of any other polite words, so he could only shake hands with Chen Ke warmly and say at the same time.

Chen Ke didn't have time to be polite with Tao Chengzhang at all, he asked straightforwardly: "Mr. Tao, after capturing Chizhou in a while, will you stay in Chizhou, or will you wait with me to cross the river?" ”

Tao Chengzhang also brought 300 people and was already lurking in Chizhou. A few days ago, Tao Chengzhang received news that the People's Party's large army was about to arrive. He didn't expect the People's Party to come so quickly, and he didn't expect the People's Party to anchor in Wuhu at all, but to let him take people to "receive" Chizhou. It's annoying that there is a change in the plan, but Chizhou is also a capital city. Not to mention taking a prefecture city, the Restoration Society has never even taken a county seat. No matter how dissatisfied he was, Tao Chengzhang still rushed to Chizhou with the comrades of the Restoration Society day and night.

I thought that the People's Party would still ask the Liberation Association to help, but who knew that the People's Party did not mean this at all. I went to attack the city of Chizhou myself. As soon as Chen Ke said this now, Tao Chengzhang fell into a dilemma. In his thoughts, after Chen Ke attacked Chizhou, he would definitely have to take a break for a while. The two sides inevitably had to bargain, but they didn't expect Chen Ke to mean to leave Chizhou behind. It turned out to be exactly the same as beforehand. Not only that, Chen Ke didn't ask Tao Chengzhang about internal response, and he didn't know whether to say that he was generous or arrogant.

Chen Ke has this qualification to be so arrogant, and Tao Chengzhang definitely has no capital to bargain with Chen Ke. Tao Chengzhang has always felt that righteousness is extremely important, Chen Ke can not give face, but Tao Chengzhang cannot help but pay attention to righteousness. What's more, Chen Ke is going to attack Anqing, and this Anqing Mansion is the top priority this time. Seeing the huge fleet of the People's Party with his own eyes, there must be thousands of people, and Tao Chengzhang only brought more than 300 comrades.

"Wen Qing, you don't have to be in such a hurry, right?" Tao Chengzhang persuaded.

Chen Ke was not moved at all, "Chizhou and Anqing are close at hand, and if we hit Anqing City a while earlier, Anqing's defense will be a little less." We'll be able to die a lot less. Since Mr. Tao has already brought the comrades of the Liberation Society to Chizhou, I have nothing to worry about handing over Chizhou to you. ”

Although this is true, Tao Chengzhang has been to Chizhou before, and he knows that his three hundred people alone are not enough to fully control Chizhou. Although before the war, he was full of joy and felt that the revolutionary army should have been invincible. When Chen Ke really threw Chizhou to Tao Chengzhang, Tao Chengzhang realized that things were not like that at all. His three hundred people, let alone completely in charge of the Chizhou capital city, let them defend against the attack of the Qing army, and the three hundred people on the city wall will not do much at all. If Chen Ke turned his face, 3,000 people would come over, and 300 people would not be able to resist it at all. He hurriedly persuaded: "Brother Wen Qing, then wait until we take over Chizhou." ”