When Guiqing, who was standing at the door of the house, was stunned, someone behind him shouted the old

"Artillery Brigade Commander, what are you still doing in a daze? Immediately gather troops to protect the Provincial House. ”

The person who spoke was Zhang Zhenfang, the speaker of the Henan Provincial Assembly, followed by several parliamentarians, Wu Chongxi also followed, still holding a morning cigarette stick in his hand, and he was the only one among these people who seemed calm and relaxed.

Zhang Zhenfang, like Pao Guiqing, has a blue face and is a little at a loss.

Without waiting for Pao Guiqing to receive the order, a congressman rushed over in a panic and shouted, "Oh no! The house is fenced off, and you can't get out! ”

"This" how is this good? If the mob rushes in, won't we all burn the jade? Zhang Zhenfang panicked.

Although Pao Guiqing was also a little nervous, but after all, he had been on the battlefield, and quickly calmed down, commanded more than a dozen personal horses with guns in hand, and protected Zhang Zhenfang back to the conference room, and he dealt with the demonstrators at the door.

A few people walked out of the crowd, surrounded by a man who looked like a teacher, walked up to Pao Guiqing, bowed, and then submitted a petition and made a request.

"It is important to ask the Chief Judge to present this petition to the Speaker and the members of Parliament for a speedy meeting. The resolution was adopted condemning the rebels and urging the central authorities to take decisive measures as soon as possible to quell the rebellion in Hunan and Guizhou, maintain national stability, and uphold legal justice. ”

"I will definitely forward your petition to the Speaker. This is the important place of the House, and it is inconvenient for idle people to gather here, so you will disperse. Bao Guiqing said a few perfunctory words. He waved his hand. Signal the crowd to disperse.

But the man who looked like a teacher took a tough stance and said, "Please submit the petition to the speaker quickly!" Parliamentarians are invited to meet quickly and issue a declaration. Urge the central authorities to severely punish the armed rebels in Hunan and Guizhou provinces, save the people of the two provinces from fire and water, and save the revolution from danger! If the resolution is not passed, we will never go "small."

Pao Guiqing's face pulled. Oh: "You guys are blackmailing! ”

"Nope! This is public opinion! This is the public opinion of the people of Henan Province! It is also the public opinion of all the people of the Republic of China! The teacher's words were categorical, and there was no room for accommodation, and as soon as the voice fell, the people gathered in the street shouted slogans again.

"You,,you,"

Pao Guiqing was a little panicked, he had never dealt with this situation, if he was in the barracks, he could still transfer troops and ammunition, but now he was surrounded by tens of thousands of people in the house, but there was no way, although the horses around him did not have rifles, but after all, they were weak, in case of angering the people, no one could escape.

"What's your name? Look at how you dress. Seems to be a new teacher? Wu Chongxi, who had been standing beside Bao, was more calm and asked the man who looked like a teacher.

"Contemptible Zeng Zhaowen. He studied in this book. He is currently the Superintendent of Zhengzhou National High School. The instructor said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Oh? Since you have stayed abroad, why are you so unreasonable? The Xiangqian incident has changed unexpectedly, and the center is planning to send someone to investigate, and now that rumors are spreading, how can you follow the coaxing? ”

"Hunan Governor Sun Wu fled to Yunnan, and Guizhou Governor Jiao Dafeng was killed, is this not a rumor?"

When Wu Chongxi and Zeng Zhaowen were grinding their tongues, a burst of gunfire suddenly rang out on the street.

"Smack,,smack,"

After the platoon, there was another volley of guns.

Two rows of guns, the more than 10,000 people gathered on the street suddenly exploded like a flock of sheep. Scattering and fleeing, the scene was extremely chaotic, many people were pushed to the ground, trampled on, and many rushed into the House in a panic.

Squeezed by the crowd, Wu Chongxi, Pao Guiqing and others had no choice but to flee to the house, and the petitioners also hid in the house in a panic.

It took a long time for the chaos to come under control. Then, the Beiyang Army, dressed in a yellow military uniform, marched into the chamber.

"Master Wu has arrived!"

Several lieutenants walked around the chamber, shouting as they went.

"Humble Master Wu?"

"Could it be Wu Ziyu Wu Shitank"

"Isn't the Jinghan Line closed to traffic? How did he arrive so quickly? ”

"Xing Shu came over."

The members who were hiding in the House of Representatives speculated, and seeing that the situation was under control, they walked out of their hiding places, inquired around, and soon learned. That "Wu Division Commander" is Wu Peihu Wu Ziyu, as for the gunfire just now, it was he who ordered the soldiers to shoot.

As soon as the acting division commander entered Zhengzhou City, he gave a pound to the people and Zhushen in the city. Dismount.

Nearly 100 people were killed and wounded. And plunged the city into a state of no-zhèngfǔ for a short time. The ruffians and wanderers took advantage of the chaos to rob, and it was not until Pao Guiqing transferred all his troops into the city that order was finally restored to the city.

"Master Wu, it's not easy to deal with the aftermath of this matter. You are a guest general, and it is a big deal to leave, but the humble duty is to shoulder the abandonment of the appeasement place, and when the time comes, I can't afford to blame it alone. ”

Pointing at the dozens of corpses placed in front of the house with a horsewhip, Bao Guiqing lashed at Wu Peihu with an expressionless face, and accentuated his tone on the word "lowly duty". As an old man of the Beiyang Army. Bao Guiqing was very dissatisfied with Wu Peihu's command of the Ninth Division, although Wu Peihu also studied in the Kaiping Military Academy back then, and was considered an alumnus of Bao Guiqing, but after all, Pao Guiqing graduated a few years earlier than him, and he was an old subordinate of Yuan Shikai when he was training at the station. It can be said that he has deep qualifications, but now, he has been trampled under the feet of Wu Peihu, a junior, and no one will be convinced, let alone this officer who is nine years older than Wu Peihu.

In Yuan Shikai's words, Wu Peihu was promoted because he was "young and promising, and the future is terrifying." "But in the eyes of the artillery brigade commander, the big charge is still too tender, and it is difficult for everyone to expect." You can't afford it alone, I'll help you take care of it."

Wu Peihu glanced at Pao Guiqing, pointed to the house behind him, and said: "Storming the house is a thug, and since you are a thug, why can't you kill it?" If I'm trapped here, and you're out there, what are you going to do? ”

Pao Guiqing was speechless, he really couldn't come up with a better and faster way than Wu Peihu, but he was not angry with Wu Peihu's arrogance, not to mention that he was older than Wu Peihu, but he had to be subject to this junior, and the dissatisfaction in his heart could not be suppressed.

"Master Wu, this matter needs to be reported to the center no matter what

Pao Guiqing shook off his words, took his horse and left the house.

Looking at Pao Guiqing in the distance, Wu Peihu snorted coldly and said to an adjutant beside him: "You immediately send a telegram to the presidential palace, just say that the people of Zhengzhou have been suppressed by me, please President Yuan Da relax, Henan will never fall into the hands of the revolutionary party if I am here!" ”

Just as Wu Peihu was sending a telegram to Yuan Shikai in high spirits, in a secluded alley behind the Zhengzhou National Middle School, in an inconspicuous inn, several revolutionaries were holding a secret meeting.

Their leader is the Zeng Zhaowen who submitted a petition to Bao Guiqing, he is not only the superintendent of the middle school, but also a member of the League, as early as when he was studying in Tokyo, he had secretly joined the League, and served as the head of the Henan branch of the League, after the outbreak of the "Wushen Revolution", the Henan cadres of the League Yang Yuanwei, Violent Shibin and others who stayed in the country took a telegram to ask Zeng Zhaowen to return to China to preside over the anti-Qing revolution in Henan Province, but Zeng Zhaowen hurried to hurry, whether he rushed back in time, and waited for him to return to Kaifeng, Henan, The governor of Henan has already announced his response to the constitution, and Yang Yuanxiang, Tyrant Shibin and others have also joined the "Hubei Army Zhèngfǔ Northern Expedition Advance Army" and become senior officers, so Zeng Zhaowen can no longer be elected by everyone as the leader of the Henan revolution, so as to do so. He continued to conceal his true identity and found an errand in Zhengzhou National High School to respond to the Alliance's Henan strategy.

The sudden occurrence of the Xiangfu Incident caught the League by surprise, and due to the lack of strength, it could only turn to the Republican Army for help, but because Zhao Bei needed to use force to solve the constitutionalists in the two provinces of Hunan and Xiangqi, the League had to launch an offensive in public opinion to respond to the actions of the Republican Army, so Zeng Zhaowen and his organization came in handy. Directed today's popular petition.

In recent days. The people's rallies and petitions in the southern provinces all have the background of the League and the Restoration Society, and the same is true in Henan; yesterday's petition activities in Kaifeng City were also launched by the Henan branch of the League, and they went very smoothly.

However, Zhengzhou's petition was forcefully suppressed by the Beiyang Army, which was indeed beyond the expectations of Zeng Zhaowen and others.

"Comrades, this operation has failed, and we must review it! We need not hide the fact that our reckless actions have implicated innocent people, and if we had expected the Beiyang Army to shoot in advance, we should not have gathered so many people. ”

"It's not our fault, why should we review? Only when there are more people can the momentum be great can the public opinion and morale be displayed! This matter is completely because Wu Peihu is too murderous! I propose that we take the opportunity to start an uprising in the city! A few days ago, when the special operations regiment of the Republican Army came over, they gave us a batch of short guns, which could just come in handy. ”

"I can't do it with those two hundred or so short guns. In my opinion, it is better to bring guns and bullets to southern Henan and defect to the Endeavor Association. ”

"They are wavering on the matter of uniting the party, and it is better for us to join them than to pull the team ourselves.

"There are already our people in the Endeavour Club, so why don't you go? After going, it can also strengthen the power of the alliance, which is conducive to unity. ”

The men in the meeting argued, but no one could convince anyone.

"Don't fight! Now that the Beiyang Ninth Division has arrived in Zhengzhou, Yuan Shikai's attempt to control Henan has been completely exposed, and the balance of forces between all parties in Henan can no longer be maintained. And since I and several comrades from the middle school hall have been exposed, and taking the risk of staying in the city can only cause unnecessary damage, I think we should get out of the city as soon as possible. Now Zhao Zhenhua, the governor of Hubei, has officially assumed the post of commander-in-chief of the rebel army. Yesterday afternoon, the rebel army has launched an offensive, in order to cooperate with the action of the southern rebel army, the Henan revolutionary forces will also make some moves, and the Endeavor will now absorb a lot of green forest armed forces, and the strength is relatively strong, although they have differences within themselves on the issue of uniting the party, but they have great respect for Mr. Sun of the Alliance, as long as Mr. Sun speaks, Endeavor will certainly cooperate with the action of the rebel army in Henan. In addition to the troops of the Endeavor Society, Liu Xueya (Liu Zhenhua)'s "Henan-Shaanxi Coalition Army. Now he is stationed in the Luoyang area, and the strength of the troops is also considerable, but due to the lack of effective cadres and the combat effectiveness is not strong, we simply go to him, first, to assist him in organizing the troops, and second, to coordinate the relationship between the department and the Endeavor Association, so as to facilitate joint operations. ”

Zeng Zhaowen's words ended everyone's dispute, and the meeting ended, everyone packed their luggage, quickly left the inn, went out of the city separately, and rushed to western Henan.

With Wu Peixiang's two rows of guns in the Beiyang Ninth Division, Henan's fragile balance of power was broken, and a frontal conflict between the powerful factions in the north and south was on the verge of breaking out.