Master Yuan, start!

He developed water conservancy, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, established schools, and ran industries, and also worked hard to improve people's livelihood.

Moreover, during the seven years in Sichuan, Liu Bingzhang at least firmly upheld the national justice in front of the people, punished foreign religions at home, and resisted the British in the west, and never bowed his head before foreigners.

Later, during the Anti-Japanese War, Yan Xishan flirted with Taijun and even signed the Japan-Yan Armistice Agreement, announcing his separation from the Chongqing government.

Such a blatant act of "traitor" did not affect the fact that after Taiyuan City was captured by the People's Liberation Army, when Yan Xishan pretended to be dead, some ignorant people of Shanxi cried at his grave.

The reason is simple. Yan Xishan did stabilize the area and created a paradise for the people of Shanxi in troubled times.

At that time, Shanxi was even a place with a net inflow of population. The people in Shaanxi, Henan and Hebei regions could not bear the years of warlord wars and Japanese invasions, and most of them chose to flee to Shanxi.

Even Yan Xishan, despite his experience, is remembered by people, and there is no need to say more about Liu Bingzhang.

Therefore, it is not surprising that after the news of his death spread, every household in Chengdu wore mourning clothes and mourned.

But soon, their sadness will turn into anger.

Today's Sichuan is no longer isolated from the outside world as it was for thousands of years.

After the telegraph was delivered to Chengdu, the people in Sichuan were not much slower in knowing the general situation of the world than those in the Jiangnan region.

Not long after the news of Liu Bingzhang's assassination in Wanxian spread, the news that Yuan Xiangcheng had exposed the real culprit in Wuchang came like a tsunami, overwhelming the world.

Outside the city of Chengdu, the camp of the Sichuan New Army was unsurprisingly filled with a sense of solemnity and murder.

"The sun is bright, the sun is bright!"

Zuo Baogui held the telegram in his hand and angrily slammed it on the table, saying angrily: "Li Jingfang is really blinded by greed. What a bullshit young marshal. I think he is just a second-generation Hu Hai.

What's the difference between assassinating Liu Bei and Hu Hai's dismemberment of his own arm and ordering the death of Meng Tian?"

A summer breeze blew in from outside the door, blowing away a drop of sweat on Zuo Baogui's forehead and wetting the telegram on the table.

Zuo Baogui nominally belonged to the "Broad-based Huai Army", but to be honest, he had nothing to do with Li Hongzhang.

He rose to power by suppressing the Nian Rebellion, and was later stationed in the Fengtian area for a long time. During the Sino-French Battle of Zhennan Pass, the Qing court transferred him to Jiangnan to guard against the French landing.

However, before he arrived, the French destroyed the Zhenhai Fort in Ningbo and almost wiped out the South China Sea Navy.

After the Sino-French War, Zuo Baogui was appointed General of Ninghai Town and stationed there, where he gradually became familiar with Liu Bingzhang, the then Governor of Zhejiang.

Later, the Qing court transferred Liu Bingzhang to be the governor of Sichuan to handle the affairs of the chieftains in Sichuan and negotiate with the British.

At Liu Bingzhang's request, Zuo Baogui followed him to Bashu.

During these years in Chengdu, Zuo Baogui assisted Liu Bingzhang step by step and gradually built up the framework of the Sichuan New Army.

Liu Bingzhang also reciprocated by giving Zuo Baogui the power to control all the troops in Sichuan.

Nie Shicheng, who had just rushed into the house, put the letter he had just received in his arms and looked at Zuo Baogui, whose veins were bulging, and felt extremely regretful.

Nie Shicheng regretted not going to Wanxian with Liu Bingzhang. If he had gone, could he have avoided the assassination?

Nie Shicheng originally belonged to the Guangdong-Huaihe forces, but he had a bad relationship with Ye Zhichao of the Lingnan New Army.

Ye Zhichao was the famous Huai Army soldier who refused to assist friendly forces during the Battle of Pyongyang in the Sino-Japanese War of 150-40, retreated more than miles, and handed over the city of Pyongyang and its more than cannons, more than guns, and dozens of tons of food to the invading Japanese army.

However, Ye Zhichao in this time and space had never experienced foreign wars, so he did not reveal his cowardly appearance.

Relying on the cannons and muskets in the hands of the Lingnan New Army, he wiped out wave after wave of Guizhou chieftains and was promoted to the governor of Guizhou for his military merits in "suppressing bandits".

Nie Shichao was ostracized by him and finally had no choice but to accept Liu Bingzhang's invitation and go to Chengdu to train the Sichuan New Army.

In other words, although Liu Bingzhang was also from the "broadly defined Huai faction", in reality, few of the generals under his command were authentic.

The orthodox Huai faction is in Lingnan, and as for the Huai faction in Sichuan, it is just a figurehead at best.

Just like the Beiyang warlords during the Republic of China period in later generations, the Zhili clique and the Anhui clique were both separated from the Six Beiyang Towns, but they fought equally ruthlessly.

"Brother Guan Ting, the battle in Yuan Xiangcheng is about to begin!"

Nie Shicheng touched the letter in his arms again, narrowed his eyes, looked at Zuo Baogui and asked tentatively: "What should we do with our Sichuan New Army?

Do you want to help Lingnan?"

"Help? Help his grandma!" Zuo Baogui cursed loudly when he heard this:

"Those damned Hefei people, they even attacked their fellow townsman, Governor Liu, so how dare they ask the Sichuan New Army for help?"

Zuo Baogui was not from Hefei, or even Anhui, so he had no good feelings towards Li Jingfang, the ruthless killer.

Nie Shicheng was also scolded. Nie Shicheng was also from Hefei.

Nie Shicheng knew that Zuo Baogui was in a state of rage, so he ignored his attack and, with a worried look on his face, pretended to test him again.

"But if we don't help, there are still some old Huai Army members in the Sichuan New Army. If these people start causing trouble..."

Nie Shicheng didn't continue, but Zuo Baogui understood.

The military is different from other places. If the situation gets out of hand and someone dies, it could turn into an internal conflict between regions, and the casualties would be incalculable.

"Then let them go, send them back to their hometown and send them silver. Those who want to leave, those who want to go back to help those bastards in Lingnan, can get as far away as they can!"

Zuo Baogui spoke powerfully, but in the end he did not dare to offend the people of Hefei or the Lingnan Huai Army too much.

The Sichuan New Army’s garrison in Sichuan was divided into three major areas.

One is the Jianzhou and Bazhou areas in northern Sichuan, facing the Daba Mountains, to guard against the southward advance of the northwestern Chu army.

The second was the Chongqing and Kuizhou areas in eastern Sichuan, to guard against the westward advance of the Hubei army.

The third is near Chengdu, where it can protect the safety of the Governor's Office while also being able to respond to the chieftains on the plateau in a timely manner.

Only in southern Sichuan, there was no large-scale army deployed, because Guizhou was the base of Ye Zhichao of the Lingnan Huai Army.

Originally, troops were not deployed in southern Sichuan because there was no danger of external invasion.

But who could have imagined that one day a split would occur within the Huai Army?

The Lingnan Huai Army, which Ye Zhichao regarded as a friendly force, has now become a real threat.

Moreover, nearly half of the Sichuan New Army stationed in eastern Sichuan are former Huai Army members. It is still unknown whether these people can obey Chengdu's command.

After hearing Zuo Baogui's deep hatred for the Lingnan Huai Army and confirming that he had no intention of helping, Nie Shicheng breathed a sigh of relief.

He took out the letter from his pocket, glanced around and said:

"Brother Guan Ting, since you won't help Lingnan, why not help the North?"

"Ok?"

Zuo Baogui's eyes glared, and he realized that Nie Shicheng had been testing him. He quickly said:

"Brother Gongting, we are friends, why do you have to test me like this? If you have anything to say, just tell me!"

Nie Shicheng unfolded the telegram and said in a low voice:

"President Yuan sent a message to me, saying that Governor Liu's tragic death was outrageous to both humans and gods, and that he would definitely help the people of Sichuan and seek justice for Governor Liu.

He wanted to ask whether our Sichuan New Army was willing to join in this fight against the bandits."

After hearing these words, Zuo Baogui's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.

"Nie Shicheng, when did you become involved with the North?"

In fact, what Zuo Baogui didn't know was that Nie Shicheng, the Huai Army, was a latecomer like him.

Nie Shicheng first joined the army by following the Minister of Militia Yuan Jiasan to fight against the Nian Army.

Later, Lu was assigned to Liu Mingchuan's camp and followed Liu Mingchuan in his battles.

After France forcibly leased Taiwan in this time and space, Nie Shicheng "fought hard to meet the enemy and defeated several camps in succession" on the island of Taiwan, but ultimately had to leave Taiwan by sea due to lack of supplies.

After the three left Taiwan, Liu Mingchuan retired from the army, and Nie Shicheng moved back and forth, and finally came under Li Hongzhang's command, serving as a training commander.

It can be said that Nie Shicheng was also a member of the Huai faction in a broad sense, but he was not promoted by Li Hongzhang, so he did not have much feelings for Li Hongzhang.

Because of this, Pu Cang was able to leave Guangzhou without any burden and go to Sichuan at the invitation of Liu Bingzhang.

Yuan Xiangcheng happened to know Nie Shicheng's life experience, so he ordered the Sichuan Intelligence Organization to contact Nie Shicheng and persuade him to "abandon the dark and join the light."

"Brother Gongting, please reply." Zuo Baogui raised his head, looked directly into Nie Shicheng's eyes and said:

"The Sichuan Army will live up to the President's trust!"

Chapter 386 Lingnan Heroes

The rainy season is coming to Lingnan.

A loud thunder exploded over Guangzhou City, followed by raindrops as big as beans falling straight down.

Compared with the ups and downs and twists and turns in the plot of Wuchang City, Guangzhou, the central city of the South, is now extremely quiet, so quiet that it seems dead.

There were only a few patrolmen and government employees patrolling the streets.

The opportunity for change started more than ten days ago.

After the news that Li Jingfang was the mastermind reached Guangzhou, the procession that shouted that Yuan Xiangcheng was the murderer and demanded severe punishment for the murderer gradually turned into a procession demanding severe punishment for Li Jingfang.

After experiencing a "collective slander", the people in Guangzhou, especially the young students, felt deceived.

They changed their minds quickly and immediately pointed their spearhead at Li Jingfang.

Under the guidance of public opinion from the Guangzhou underground station of the Social Revolutionary Party's Intelligence Investigation Department, they gave speeches on the streets and organized marches.

These young students take Lingnan University Hall as their center and continue to make their voices heard.

Li Hongzhang probably never dreamed that the Lingnan University and a number of Western-style schools he had founded to demonstrate his "enlightenment" and "benevolence" would become the base of opposition against him.

These students who studied Western European democratic science were not old scholars who read the Four Books and Five Classics, nor were they tribute students who enjoyed the favor of the imperial court.

They will not abandon their conscience for a little profit.

Who is the sinner and who is innocent will be clear once the truth comes out.

After the Qing Dynasty was overthrown and political restrictions were lifted, the Chinese scholars, who had been extremely silent and dared not express their opinions on state affairs, burst out with unimaginable enthusiasm.

The political atmosphere in Guangzhou became extremely tense. For a time, it was flourishing and the atmosphere was raging, even comparable to Shanghai, a city with an open atmosphere and a mixed population of Chinese and foreigners.

However, all of this came to an abrupt end after Li Hongzhang and others returned to Guangzhou.

Li Hongzhang, who had extensive experience in suppressing civilians 30 years ago, immediately ordered the arrest of the opposing students.

One after another, students who organized or participated in the march were shackled and dragged from their homes directly to the Guangzhou Governor's Office prison.

However, even so, it did not stop the simple patriotism of the students who were committed to justice.