Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 67

After the national humiliation of the Boxer Rebellion, the people of Wuhan were completely disillusioned with the imperial court. While some rural people initially supported the court's call to expel foreigners, after the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing and the court betrayed its principles by suppressing the righteous people seeking to expel the foreigners, the rural people came to see the court and the foreigners as one side. The Southeast Mutual Protection Pact was primarily the idea of ​​the southeastern governors and gentry; the lower classes actually advocated for the expulsion of foreigners.

With the imperial court's authority gone, the people of Hubei turned to Zhang Zhidong, hoping that this former governor-general could protect the region and its people, and prevent foreign influence from encroaching on Hubei and Hunan. Zhang Zhidong's series of new policies did indeed gain him considerable support from Hubei's gentry; however, after the establishment of the Economic Committee, the people of Wuhan regarded it as their benefactor.

Before the establishment of the Economic Committee, the new policies promoted by Zhang Zhidong were essentially about getting rid of burdens and increasing fiscal revenue. Although some new factories were introduced, for most people in Hubei and Hunan, the new policies not only did not improve their lives, but also increased their burden. Because of the lack of supporting factories, the products produced were mostly expensive and of poor quality, and were not as good as foreign goods. However, the investment in these new factories had to be shared by ordinary people.

Only after the emergence of the Economic Commission did the new factories link the raw material production areas with the sales markets, establishing a closed-loop production-consumption system, which gradually improved the lives of farmers and workers, increasing their income while continuously reducing their cost of living.

Therefore, the people of Wuhan actually recognized and supported the Economic Commission more than the current Governor-General of Huguang. While the imperial court sent an imperial commissioner south to audit the treasury and increase revenue, until Tie Liang intervened with the Economic Commission, most people remained indifferent. After all, the gentry's complaints were too far removed from the lives of ordinary citizens; the citizens were concerned with primary education, not higher education.

However, after Tie Liang revealed his ambitions regarding the Economic Commission, the people of Wuhan became genuinely dissatisfied. They feared that once the imperial court controlled the Economic Commission, it would only exploit the people, leaving Wuhan in dire straits. Tang Caichang's appearance was like a spark falling onto a pile of dry tinder; when the citizens of Hankou spread his story, they sympathized with Tang Caichang and opposed the imperial court.

Hearing such biased opinions all around him, how could Deng Chengba continue to live a carefree life in Hankou? Naturally, he hurriedly fled back to Hanyang. On his way back to Hanyang, Deng Chengba felt that if the Governor-General's Office did not make a firm decision to use the army, the longer it dragged on, the more troublesome the problem in Hankou would become, because once the citizens of Hankou reached a consensus, it would not be something that one or two thousand soldiers could control.

But Deng Chengba never expected that Wuchang would issue him such an order, requiring him to detain Zhang Jingliang and then lead his men across the river to control the Hankou military camp. He felt that something was wrong with Wuchang, so he took his confidants to the telegraph office and sent a telegram to Wuchang to inquire. However, this time the reply was even more intriguing. This telegram not only confirmed the previous telegram, but also requested that Wuchang be notified as soon as possible if Zhang Biao, the commander, was seen.

Upon seeing the reply, Deng Chengba dared not keep it to himself and quickly showed it to the Manchu officer beside him and Zeng Guangda, who had come from the Governor's Guard. While the Manchu officer was still pondering, Zeng Guangda said without hesitation, "Now that the order has been confirmed, it should be carried out as soon as possible. It's better to apologize to Battalion Commander Zhang afterward than to hesitate now."

Deng Chengba glanced at him, knowing that Zeng Guangda was expressing his true feelings. The Manchus could hesitate on this issue, but for the Han Chinese to hesitate would be a serious offense later. This clearly indicated that Commander Zhang had encountered a problem, though the nature of it was unknown, it was certainly not a minor one. At this moment, he suddenly thought of the strange events in Hankou, and his unease deepened.

Seeing that Zeng Guangda had already expressed his opinion, the Manchu man next to him went along with it and said, "I will listen to Battalion Commander Deng, but the men in our unit are not in the camp right now, and it will probably take a long time to gather them."

Deng Chengba then made up his mind and said, "Zhang Jingliang and I have often disagreed. If I were to arrest him myself, it would only cause more trouble. Let the military police arrest him and keep him under guard. Guangda, you go and summon his officers and announce the order from the higher-ups. Anyone who dares to disobey should be arrested. Then select two teams, along with your team, to cross the river with me. As for Shuangbi, you stay and guard the arsenal..."

Things went smoothly. Zhang Jingliang followed the military police without realizing it. He was very compliant with the detention order announced by the military police, only saying that he had no private contact with Commander Zhang and did not know where Commander Zhang was. However, he was willing to stay in the military police office until the truth came out.

Deng Chengba breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the report from the military police. If it was just paranoia in Wuchang and not a real mutiny, then he would have dared to go to the military camp in Hankou; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the guts. Meanwhile, things weren't going badly for Zeng Guangda. The four officers who had been summoned, though dissatisfied with the detention of their superior Zhang Jingliang, ultimately didn't dare disobey orders because Zeng Guangda had the telegram from Wuchang.

Within an hour, Deng Chengba had taken control of the Hanyang Arsenal and the garrison in Hanyang. He then ordered Zeng Guangda to lead three squads to cross the Han River with him. This was at 3:15 PM. While Deng Chengba was directing his troops toward Hankou, Wuchang sent another telegram to the Hanyang Arsenal. However, after the telegram clerk translated it, he handed it to Peng Chufan, who quickly delivered it to Tian Junyi.

Tian Junyi watched through his binoculars as Deng Chengba's troops advanced towards the railway bridge before putting them down and taking a look at the telegram. This time, it was indeed an order from Tie Zhong. The telegram instructed Deng Chengba to detain Zhang Jingliang, take control of the Hanyang Arsenal, and await his arrival, forbidding anyone from taking over the Hanyang Arsenal.

Tian Jun smiled, lit a match, and burned the telegram. Then he said to everyone in the office, "It seems Tie Zhong is preparing to cross the river. That's a good thing. As long as we get rid of him, there will be no one in charge of the situation in Wuchang."

I now order the formation of engineering corps, no, workers-peasant-soldier committees. Workers shall obey the orders of the trade unions, and soldiers shall obey the orders of the soldiers' committees. Troops without soldiers' committees shall establish them as soon as possible. All trade unions and soldiers' committees shall be subordinate to the workers-peasant-soldier committees.

The committee headquarters was located at the Hanyang Ironworks and was protected by the Hanyang Ironworks Trade Union. Branches were also set up in Hankou and Wuchang. The Hankou branch was headed by comrades Tang Caichang and Qin Lishan, while the Wuchang branch was headed by comrades Wang Chuzhen and Lin Gui.

Now, in the name of the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee, I order the Hanyang Ironworks Union and the Hanyang Arsenal Union to call on the workers to seize control of the factories, and in the name of the Hanyang General Labor Union, to summon all militia battalions to defend Hanyang and disarm the troops not controlled by the Soldiers' Committee.

Comrades Li Binghuan, Peng Chufan, and Yang Defu, after you three have taken control of the Hanyang Arsenal, immediately mobilize reliable military forces to ambush and annihilate the reactionary armed forces in Wuchang. I want to reiterate that this operation is not about killing the Manchus, but about revolution. Killing is not our goal; controlling the New Army and the three towns of Wuhan is…”

Chapter 232 Strike

Deng Chengba never expected a third force to be stirring. He deduced from the two telegrams that the Manchus wanted to take action against Zhang Biao. Although he didn't know exactly what Zhang Biao had done, those below were aware of the power struggle between Zhang Zhidong and Duanfang, who represented the court. He believed this was a political maneuvering.

If Zhang Zhidong were in Wuhan, he might have considered it carefully, after all, Zhang Zhidong's tenure as Governor-General of Huguang over the past decade or so was not for nothing. But now Zhang Zhidong is not in Wuhan, and Duanfang has the Imperial Commissioner Tie Liang on his side. Zhang Biao lacks a legitimate cause; can he withstand the Governor-General's orders based solely on his military prestige?

Therefore, Deng Chengba quickly made up his mind to resolutely carry out the Governor-General's order. After arresting Zhang Jingliang, he also took two companies from Zhang Jingliang's troops with him. In this way, the remaining two companies could not cause any trouble. After all, he left three companies for Shuangbi. Even if the Manchu companies could not fight, as long as the arsenal and Zhang Jingliang were under control, there was no need to worry about any unforeseen events.

However, after he took Zeng Guangda's company away, Shuangbi was actually unable to control the remaining four Han Chinese companies. This was because the conflict between the Manchus and the Han Chinese was already quite deep, especially since Tie Zhong had placed Manchus in each company, clearly to monitor the movements of the Han Chinese in each company.

Although Zeng Guangda came from the Duanfang Guard, he was still a Han Chinese and was willing to humble himself, so he had a fairly good relationship with the other two Han Chinese companies in the camp. Shuangbi, on the other hand, was a Manchu, and there was an inherent racial divide between them. They also liked to bully the Han soldiers, and this bullying behavior had become an instinct for the Manchus. Even elite Manchus like Tie Zhong, who had studied in Japan, would often boast about their ancestors' achievements in killing Han Chinese and believed that the current court was too lenient with the revolutionaries, let alone ordinary Manchus.

After Zhang Jingliang was arrested, his Han Chinese soldiers were not intimidated; instead, they were enraged by the Governor-General's order, which was vague and lacked any clear reason. The Soldiers' Committee seized this opportunity and successfully persuaded the neutral soldiers to join them in demanding an explanation for Zhang Jingliang's arrest. Unable to convince the soldiers, the two company officers refused to intervene and remained behind closed doors, indicating their non-participation. Thus, control of the two companies shifted to the Soldiers' Committee.

These soldiers attempted to enter the Hanyang Arsenal and confront the Shuangbi garrison, but Shuangbi refused to even show their faces, instead having another Han Chinese company intercept and disperse them. Under the leadership of the soldiers' committee, the soldiers' anger grew increasingly intense. They not only raised issues regarding Zhang Jingliang's arrest but also accused the Manchus of bullying the Han soldiers on a daily basis. They demanded that the Han Chinese company blocking their path join them in seeking justice from the Manchus.

The officer in charge of the interception initially ordered his soldiers to raise their guns as a deterrent, but few obeyed. Those who had drawn their weapons quickly lowered them. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the officer excused himself, saying he needed to report to Shuangbi, and left the scene. He hadn't gone far when he heard cheers behind him; his men had joined the soldiers who had come to argue.

The officer immediately realized something was wrong, feeling that continuing would be tantamount to a mutiny. So he stopped halfway and ordered a trusted confidant to inform Shuangbi, while he went into hiding.

Although Shuangbi was trying his best to recall his men, only fifty or sixty from the immediate vicinity obeyed his orders and returned. Adding the thirty or so men remaining in the factory, the entire company was only about two-thirds complete. With less than a hundred armed men, it would be difficult enough just to control the Hanyang Arsenal, let alone suppress the other Han Chinese troops in Hanyang. Therefore, after Deng Chengba left, he was also panicked and ordered the military police and security forces in the factory to arm themselves and obey his orders.

Upon receiving news of the advancing "chaotic soldiers," Shuangbi never considered negotiating with the Han soldiers to resolve the issue. Instead, he directly labeled these soldiers as "chaotic soldiers" and immediately ordered his company to retreat to their surroundings to ensure their own safety.

The armory of the Hanyang Arsenal was not the same as the Chu Wangtai Armory. There was only one main armory, and all the firearms and ammunition were stored in one camp. The Hanyang Arsenal had nearly 20 branch factories, and almost every branch factory had a raw material warehouse and a finished product warehouse. Although Shuangbi's company was guarding the main armory, the other branch warehouses also had a considerable amount of firearms and ammunition stored.

While the Manchu and Han armies were locked in a standoff, three militia battalions of the Hanyang Arsenal quickly opened the branch factory's armory, armed themselves, and transported some of the weapons to the Hanyang Ironworks.

When the Han army appeared in front of the Banner army's defensive positions, before they could even shout a warning, some Banner soldiers, in their panic, opened fire. This naturally provoked a counterattack from the Han soldiers, but the Banner soldiers, armed with Maxim machine guns, blocked the road, forcing the Han soldiers to retreat.

At this point, reasoning was no longer an option. Peng Chao and He Hongliang, members of the Workers' Committee and members of the Labor Party, immediately addressed their soldiers: "The Manchus are so barbaric. If we retreat now, we'll all be beheaded when Wuchang and Hankou send troops. We have no choice but to support Tang Caichang and the Labor Party's position."

We demand that the court resist the Russian invasion, reform the political system, abolish the distinction between Manchus and Han Chinese in the army, prohibit all forms of corporal punishment and humiliating punishments, forbid the withholding of military pay, and require that any punishment of soldiers be subject to public trial and approval by the soldiers' committee…”

Labor party members and senior soldiers' committee members in the army voiced their support for Peng Chao and He Hongliang's proposals, and this group of soldiers accounted for about one-third of the soldiers present. The remaining two-thirds of the soldiers, who had previously only followed the crowd, were now becoming more proactive. The fact that the Manchus had fired on them had not only angered them but also made them realize that if they didn't make a name for themselves, the Manchus would surely settle scores with them afterward.

However, some people asked Peng Chao and He Hongliang with suspicion: "We only have a few hundred men. What if the troops from Hankou and Wuchang come to suppress us? Moreover, we don't have many bullets or heavy weapons. We can't even beat the current Manchu detachment. How can we force the court to make concessions to us?"

Peng Chao waved his hand and shouted to the soldiers in front of him, "This is the Hanyang Arsenal. As long as the workers support us, are we afraid of not having weapons and ammunition? We should unite with the workers."

Furthermore, Manchus are a minority in the Hubei New Army; the majority are Han Chinese. We need to explain our position to them and get them to join us. If we unite, the whole of Wuhan will be ours…”

Listening to the aimless shooting of the Manchus, the soldiers finally accepted the proposal of the Soldiers' Committee. Now, without a leader, the Soldiers' Committee was the only one who could come up with such a proposal; the others had no idea what to do.

To prevent betrayal, the soldiers decided to hand over command to the Soldiers' Committee and set several rules: anyone who disobeys the orders of the Soldiers' Committee will be disarmed and placed under guard, whether a soldier or an officer; the Soldiers' Committee has the right to execute any traitors who attempt to betray the group; and in order to gain the support of workers and citizens, soldiers are not allowed to act alone, enter civilian homes without permission, or kill or rape women indiscriminately.

At 3:43 PM, the Soldiers' Committee gained command of part of the Hanyang army. At 3:53 PM, the Soldiers' Committee sent people to contact the Hanyang Arsenal Union. The Arsenal Union expressed its willingness to support the Soldiers' Committee, but demanded the formation of an Engineers' Committee to unify the management of the uprising army and workers. The union used the term "uprising" for the first time.

At 55 minutes past the hour, Peng Chao and other members of the Soldiers' Committee accepted the request of the arsenal's labor union, and the two sides jointly formed an Engineers' Committee to liaise with the Workers' Party, Hanyang workers, and other garrison troops. At 4:10 minutes past the hour, the arsenal's militia battalion and the uprising soldiers joined forces and went to persuade another company of the New Army. At 4:20 minutes past the hour, the soldiers of that company announced their participation in the uprising, and the company's officers and some personnel were disarmed and placed under guard.

At 4:25, the Hanyang General Labor Union and the Labor Party announced their participation in the uprising and decided that, except for some factories and workshops that could not stop production, all other factories in Hanyang would carry out a general strike to protest the government's inaction in the face of Russia's invasion of Manchuria and Outer Mongolia. They also announced the takeover of government-run factories, the implementation of an eight-hour workday, and the abolition of the military and police system and all forms of extrajudicial punishment within the factories.

"Eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, eight hours of study and life—this is the legitimate right we, the working class, deserve. But can we expect some savior to liberate the working class? No, only the working class itself can liberate itself. Fellow workers, to defend the eight-hour workday, to defend the interests of the working class, take up arms and fight alongside us..."

A young worker stood atop an iron frame, addressing the workers at the Hanyang Ironworks. Exhausted from long hours of intense labor, the workers suddenly rallied, raising their fists in response to the union representative's call: "Eight hours of work, eight hours of rest. We are human beings, not tireless machines! Support the general strike..."

Such scenes were not isolated incidents. Within a short period of time, tens of thousands of workers in factories of all sizes in the Hanyang area quickly reached a consensus to obey the union's call and participate in the general strike. At first, the employers intended to stop it, but they soon realized that this was a strike action that affected the entire Hanyang factory area and that they could not stop it.

The arrival of the Hanyang workers completely overwhelmed Shuangbi's last remaining hope. After the arsenal workers pushed the cannons in front of the Banner camp's positions, Shuangbi finally surrendered their weapons and withdrew from the Hanyang arsenal at Peng Chufan's urging. In a way, this Banner company's fate wasn't too bad. Their comrades outside the arsenal and other Banner companies had already been executed by soldiers and militia, while they, under Peng Chufan's arrangement, were sent to a factory in the suburbs of Hanyang, where they quietly endured the most brutal period to come.

After completely eliminating the Qing army forces in the Hanyang area, Tian Junyi ordered a portion of the uprising troops to cross the Han River and join the Hankou labor unions to take over the government in the Hankou area. He also called on Hankou workers and shop assistants to join the general strike. He then persuaded the Hankou garrison to lay down their arms and accept the leadership of the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee. At this point, the command of the uprising had been completely transferred to the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee.

Chapter 233 Bloodbath on the Yangtze River

The sudden general strike by workers in Hanyang, who then crossed the Han River into the city of Hankou, shocked the consuls of various countries in Hankou. Tang Caichang, speaking in the name of the Labor Party, openly advocated for rejecting Russia, a stance that was met with ridicule by all consuls except the Russian consul.

However, the strike by the workers in Hanyang could not help but make the consuls of various countries nervous. Of course, the Germans were the most hesitant, because Germany had the largest investment in Hankou and Hanyang, and they were now unsure of what was going on and whether they should intervene to help the Governor-General of Huguang quell the workers' strike.

However, the Workers' Party, represented by Tang Caichang, told the Sino-German Chamber of Commerce that this was merely an internal matter in China and would not involve the great powers, as long as they did not interfere. The Economic Commission also politely declined the Germans' offer, stating that they could resolve the workers' strike themselves and did not need the intervention of consuls from various countries.

The Russians, however, became increasingly agitated, advocating that the major powers should jointly intervene in the Hanyang workers' strike. Of course, the Germans ignored the Russians this time, as there were as many as 4500 German residents in Hankou, compared to only about 1500 residents from other countries, including approximately 500 Japanese. The Germans comprised three-quarters of the foreign population in Hankou, meaning that in the event of a conflict, the Germans would be the first to take the lead.

However, a census was conducted in Wuhan this year, revealing that Hankou had a population of 60, Hanyang 15, and Wuchang 20, totaling 95. In 1888, Hankou's population was less than 20, meaning it tripled in nearly 17 years. This demonstrates the positive impact of railways and Hankou's industrial and infrastructure development on population growth.

In other words, even if the Germans armed all their expatriates, they would only number one hundred and twenty-tenth of the Chinese population in Hankou. Given the significant German investment in the city, even if they won, their investments in Hankou would likely be wiped out. Therefore, the Germans resolutely opposed the use of force to suppress the workers in Hankou and Hanyang, in order to avoid damaging the property of German citizens.

The German opposition received support from the United States and France. France wasn't worried about German property, but rather that intervention by the great powers could trigger a real revolution in the Far East, ultimately drawing Britain and Russia into the conflict. The Germans would only lose some property, but given the current struggle between China and Britain and Russia, if the Chinese regime collapsed, the Chinese would first turn their attention to Britain and Russia, leaving only France to confront the Germans in Europe.

The Americans opposed the move because they feared that foreign intervention in the Hubei and Hunan regions would lead to the collapse of the Chinese government, which would benefit Russia, as Russia currently occupies the largest amount of Chinese land. Once the Qing government collapsed, Russia could then legitimately annex Manchuria and Outer Mongolia.

Japan adopted a diplomatic policy of following Britain, while the British wanted to maintain Qing rule but also hoped to weaken the forces in the Hubei and Hunan regions to force them to back down on the Tibet issue. The biggest problem, however, was that the British still hadn't figured out which side they should stand on to achieve this goal.

Ultimately, the consuls of various countries stationed in Hankou decided to: put pressure on the Wuchang Governor's Office to first demand that it restore order in Hanyang; and at the same time, issue an ultimatum to the Labor Party, which claimed responsibility for the strike, demanding that it protect foreign nationals and order in Hankou, otherwise the countries would reserve the right to take further action.

For Wuchang, the ultimatums issued by the consuls of various countries only further misled them into believing that someone was sabotaging them behind the scenes, trying to pressure the Governor-General's Office and the Imperial Commissioner into abandoning the financial reforms of Huguang. Therefore, Tie Liang and Duan Fang became even more determined, ordering Tie Zhong to lead troops across the Yangtze River to control the garrisons in Hanyang and Hankou, and to quell the unrest with force.

Since returning to China, Tie Zhong had been in charge of preparatory work at the training department, essentially a civilian officer sitting in an office. He was quite capable at writing plans in the office, but he was far less reliable in personally leading troops than the Han Chinese officers. This was a common problem among Manchu officers. Whether it was Bao Ying or Shu Qing'a, they were all promoted to high positions after returning from their studies as talented Manchus, and almost none of them had any experience leading troops at the grassroots level.

This time, the troops were being sent to suppress Han Chinese forces, so the Han Chinese couldn't be allowed to lead the charge again. Tie Zhong sidelined the Han Chinese officers, including Li Yuanhong, and only allowed Manchus like Bao Ying to control the troops. Then, Tie Zhong witnessed firsthand the difference between the Manchu and Han Chinese forces. The Han Chinese troops were already in formation, while the Manchu troops were in complete disarray, like headless flies. Bao Ying had to go to the ranks herself, going from company to company to organize her men. The decision to send out the troops was made at 4 o'clock, but by 5:30, neither of the two battalions had been deployed.

Originally, the plan was for both battalions to cross the river by boat simultaneously. However, Tie Zhongshi could no longer tolerate the troops' sluggishness and finally decided to lead the first battalion across the river himself, while Bao Ying led the second battalion across later. The new army's organization consisted of four companies per battalion, with 150 men per company. One company was left behind to guard the rear. The first battalion to cross the river was the third company, which was more than 450 men.

In the past, even ships from the Lee Kee Shipping Company could only carry 30 to 50 people at a time. However, the newly established Yangtze Machinery Factory built a 250-ton barge and ordered a small steamship from Qingdao at the beginning of the year, thus starting a competitive situation for Wuhan ferries, which could transport 800 people at a time.

By October, the Wuhan Steamship Bureau had acquired four small steamships and four steel barges, ushering in an era of scheduled river ferries. Each adult only needed two copper coins, compared to five coins the previous year. This greatly facilitated the crossing of people and goods and promoted economic ties between Wuchang and Hanyang and Hankou.

Tie Zhong led his battalion of soldiers onto one of these barges and headed towards the ferry crossing in Hanyang. He boarded at 6:25 PM at Hanyang Gate in Wuchang, and after 55 minutes, they arrived at the Qingchuan Pavilion floating dock in Hanyang. By the time the entire battalion reached the riverbank, it was already 7:40 PM. It was already dark, and apart from the orange glow of the streetlights along the riverbank and the kerosene lamps hanging on the boat, all that could be seen was the brightly lit scene along the Hankou riverbank, which was naturally the riverside avenue of the concession area.

Peng Chufan, Song Xiquan, and the other rebel soldiers had been waiting impatiently. When Tie Zhong led his entire battalion into the light from the riverbank, Peng Chufan appeared and shouted to the Manchu soldiers below: "Who are you? Why are you carrying weapons to Hanyang?"

Tie Zhong was taken aback at first, but quickly retorted angrily, "Who are you? I am Tie Zhong from the Training Department. Come down here and talk to me."

Peng Chufan, of course, would not go down. He said bluntly, "I don't know any Tie Zhong. I only recognize Commander Zhang's orders. Do you have Commander Zhang's troop deployment orders?"

While looking up at the riverbank, Tie Zhong asked suspiciously, "Where is Commander Zhang? Tell him to come out and talk to me. What is your position? Which department are you in? Who sent you here?"

Peng Chufan replied, "You don't need to know who I am. If you want to see Commander Zhang, why don't you come up and I'll take you there? But no one else can come up."

Tie Zhong glanced around and noticed that the bannermen beside him were all standing there blankly, as if watching a play, showing no awareness of forming ranks. On the other hand, a group of Han soldiers accompanying him had sneaked to the left and right flanks. So he raised his hand and said impatiently, "Go up and drag that kid down. I want to see which fool is blocking my way."

With Tie Zhong's clear order, a dozen or so bannermen rushed up the steps, attempting to capture Peng Chufan. However, several gunshots suddenly rang out from the side, hitting the steps in front of the bannermen and startling them back.

Peng Chufan sternly rebuked his officers and soldiers: "You dare to force your way in without Commander Zhang's order to mobilize troops? Do you know that Hanyang is a strategically important military location? The ironworks and arsenal are located here. How can you be allowed to run rampant? Put down your weapons, or don't blame us..."

A soldier next to Peng Chufan suddenly reached out and pulled him back. Then a shot grazed Peng Chufan's left shoulder. Soon after, an officer shouted, "Return fire! Return fire! These bastards killed Captain Peng..."

Tie Zhong below was also furious. He hadn't even given the order to fire, yet some of the standard-bearers couldn't help but fire. But now was no time to hesitate, so he immediately shouted, "Charge! Charge onto the riverbank! Seize the high ground!"

But at that moment, the sound of Maxim machine guns suddenly erupted from both sides. The huddled Manchu soldiers were quickly torn to pieces. Tie Zhong, who happened to be within the crossfire of two machine guns, was among the first to be killed. Faced with this terrifying situation, the Han soldiers scattered to both sides immediately shouted, "We surrender! We didn't fire! We obey Commander Zhang..."

As Tie Zhong was being mowed down by Maxim machine gun fire, Bao Ying's battalion was on a boat, having crossed a third of the river. The scene of fire and chaos on the opposite bank immediately caught his attention. Although he couldn't see clearly, he could tell it was an ambush from the riverbank to the river below, and Tie Zhong's battalion was clearly in trouble.

Bao Ying immediately grabbed the boat captain and urged him to return to port. He didn't know who controlled Hanyang now, but he was certain it was no longer the court's control. At this point, he began to suspect that Zhang Biao was behind it all, because he didn't think Zhang Biao had the audacity to directly use a Maxim gun to mow down the Manchus.

However, just as the small steamer turned around and headed towards the Hanyangmen Wharf, the roar of an engine suddenly came from the river behind them. Bao Ying was terrified. No matter what kind of ship it was, it didn't seem like a good thing. Their battalion was powerless to fight back on the river. But at the moment, all he could do was urge the captain to accelerate; there was nothing else he could do.

Lin Defu and Luo Zhaosheng, aboard the Worker-class Yangtze River gunboat, continued forward, their eyes fixed on the moving lights on the river. This gunboat was the first warship built after the establishment of the Yangzi Machinery Factory, and also the first Yangtze River gunboat ordered by the Hubei and Hunan naval fleet.

After the First Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Navy was left with only five warships: "Hai Rong", "Hai Long", "Hai Xi", "Hai Qing" and "Hai Hua". However, in the Battle of Dagu Forts, the navy did not fire a single shot. Under the leadership of Admiral Ye Zugui, the "Hai Rong" negotiated peace with the Allied forces. The British Navy then sailed straight in and directly seized the four ships: "Hai Long", "Hai Xi", "Hai Qing" and "Hai Hua".

The navy's disobedience in this battle greatly disappointed the Qing government, so it abandoned its efforts to rebuild the navy and instead focused on developing the army. However, when Zhang Zhidong was acting as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, he replaced four gunboats for the Nanyang Fleet and then wanted to establish an independent Yangtze River Navy in Hubei and Hunan provinces, with six gunboats to defend the Yangtze River. This was the first one.

Chapter 234 Wuchang Garrison

The Worker was indeed a good ship. Although it adopted the layout of a river defense gunboat built by Kawasaki Shipyard for the South Seas Navy, with a 120mm cannon in front, a 76mm cannon in the rear, two 57mm machine guns and four Maxim machine guns, the ship used a Diesel diesel engine, which was much faster than ordinary small steamships in terms of both starting and speed.

The only problem was that the boatmen in the uprising weren't very skilled at operating the ship, after all, it was China's first diesel-powered vessel. Plus, it was nighttime and visibility was poor, so the Workers' Ship didn't catch up with Bao Ying until the small steamer he was on was almost at the Hanyangmen dock.

Lin Defu and Luo Zhaosheng, the commanders of the Workers' Ship, immediately hailed the small steamer, ordering it to turn around and head towards the Hanyang floating dock. However, Bao Ying, seeing the scenery on the Hanyangmen floating dock, estimated that the shore was only about a hundred meters away. Therefore, he decided to take a risk and ordered the captain not to slow down and to rush straight to the dock, attempting to force his way to the shore.

Seeing that the small steamer showed no sign of stopping, Luo Zhaosheng immediately said to Lin Defu, "What are you shouting for? Since they won't listen to reason, let's open fire. We can't just let them come ashore like this, can we?"

Lin Defu had no time to think further and felt that they couldn't just let the other side ashore. After all, his orders were to take the ferry back to prepare for the next step of the uprising troops crossing the river. If the small steamer docked and the people escaped, the mission would have failed. So he agreed with Luo Zhaosheng's suggestion and fired cannons to deter the other side from stopping.

The "firing" referred to the 57mm machine gun, as the main guns hadn't been loaded with ammunition. However, when the shells fired by the Worker landed on the side of the small steamer, it only fueled Bao Ying's desire to escape. He shouted to the captain and soldiers beside him, "Charge ashore! Charge ashore! Once we're ashore, we won't be afraid. We have nowhere to hide on the river..."

Bao Ying's decision forced the Worker to point its weapons at the steamer and the barge behind it, just as Bao Ying had said, there was indeed nowhere to hide on the river. This time, the Worker did not use its machine guns, but instead used two Maxim machine guns mounted on its sides. The steamer had some buildings that could provide cover from the machine gun fire, but the barge only had railings, which were hardly enough to stop the machine gun fire.

This was a massacre on the river. At least a third of the more than 400 people on the barge were killed by machine gun fire. The officers and soldiers on the barge jumped into the water and swam to the shore, which slowed down the small steamer. Bao Ying also jumped ship and ran away. Faced with these new officers and soldiers who had no ability to resist, Lin Defu still softened his heart. He ordered the small steamer to return to port, but stopped attacking the floating dock.

At nine o'clock that evening, Bao Ying, still dripping wet, ran into the Governor's Office to report the terrible news to Tie Liang and Duan Fang. Upon hearing that both the Hanyang Wharf and the Wuchang Hanyang Gate Wharf had been attacked by rebel forces, Duan Fang panicked. He angrily exclaimed, "What is Zhang Biao trying to do? Rebel? What gives him the right…?"

Although Tie Liang remained relatively calm, he had completely lost his understanding of the situation on the other side of the river. He actually agreed with Bao Ying's earlier assessment that Zhang Biao shouldn't have the audacity to create such a large-scale disturbance. According to custom, military leaders might mutini, but they wouldn't go so far as to kill. With so many Manchus dead, even if the court could tolerate these soldiers, could they really let Zhang Biao live?

But if it wasn't Zhang Biao, then who instigated the army? Liang Dingfen had influence in the military, but now he was on their side. Although Tian Junyi had considerable power in Wuhan, he never interfered in military affairs. Without an influential figure in the military, it was clearly impossible to control the Hanyang garrison and attack Tie Zhong and Bao Ying's troops.

Tie Liang, being an expert in military training, understood that without rooting out the ringleaders of the mutiny, the army couldn't be stabilized, and they couldn't use the troops to quell the rebellion, because they wouldn't know which units in the army were trustworthy. After the 30th Regiment led by Tie Zhong and Bao Ying suffered heavy losses, although the Wuchang garrison still had ten battalions, completely overwhelming the Hanyang and Hankou garrisons in terms of military strength, the question remained: which units were truly reliable?

While Tie Liang was pondering this problem, Duan Fang suddenly spoke up again: "Oh no, right now we only have some small boats to capture the river pirates. We can't beat the gunboat in the hands of the rebels at all. Who knows when we'll be able to call in the South China Sea Navy for support? Doesn't this mean the rebels have taken control of the Yangtze River section near Wuhan?"

Duanfang looked at Tieliang uneasily and asked, "Should we ask the consuls of various countries to help maintain order in Hankou and Hanyang?"

Tie Liang felt his headache worsen at Duan Fang's question. Asking consuls from various countries to help maintain order would obviously incite public discontent. While pondering whether the situation had deteriorated to this point, he suggested, "Invite Li Yuanhong here and ask him if he has any way to contact the rebels. If it can be resolved peacefully, it would be best not to alarm outsiders."

Duanfang looked at Tie Liang with some confusion and asked, "Why did you call Li Yuanhong over at this time? Didn't you support Tie Zhong and tell him not to let Li Yuanhong interfere in this matter?"

Tie Liang pressed his temples and said weakly, "At the time, I was worried that Li Yuanhong would get involved with Zhang Biao. Now it seems that this mutiny may not have been Zhang Biao's doing. With such a large-scale event, Li Yuanhong should not get involved in this mess."

Besides, regardless of which side he's on, we can't let him out of our sight now. With Zhang Biao gone and Tie Zhong missing, Li Yuanhong is now the top figure in the Wuchang garrison; his stance determines the stance of the majority of the army…”

When Tie Liang mentioned Li Yuanhong, Li Yuanhong already knew about the tragedy that had occurred at Hanyangmen Wharf. Things had escalated to this point, and Li Yuanhong was somewhat losing his composure. As a former Beiyang Fleet officer who had undergone five years of systematic British naval education, although his understanding of the army was indeed inferior to some army officers who had returned from overseas studies, it was still far superior to that of Zhang Biao, the new army commander who came from a humble background.

Although the Hubei New Army was nominally created by Liang Dingfen and Zhang Biao, its actual operation was handled by Li Yuanhong. However, Li Yuanhong knew that he was not Zhang Zhidong's close associate but rather a self-taught individual, so he focused on his work and refused to interfere in military personnel matters.

While this allowed him to avoid the power struggles within the military and gain Zhang Zhidong's trust, problems arose at this point. Although his subordinates respected him on ordinary days, in crucial moments, no one was willing to consult him on what to do. In other words, his subordinates considered him a respectable officer, but not a reliable leader.

Therefore, Li Yuanhong was always the last to know the truly important news. For example, it was only after the Hanyang Gate tragedy that he learned that Tie Zhong and Bao Ying had moved their troops out to control the Hanyang Arsenal, not to rotate the troops. It was also at this time that he realized Tie Liang and Duan Fang seemed to have become suspicious of Zhang Biao, and that the Hanyang garrison's attack on Tie Zhong and Bao Ying's troops might have been at Zhang Biao's behest.

This news greatly alarmed him, but it also brought an even bigger problem. His subordinate, Sun Wu, brought the news and advised him to immediately go to the Left Banner barracks and declare that the town would remain neutral and not intervene in the mutiny. After much deliberation, Li Yuanhong ultimately felt that Duanfang could not trust him, and that Zhang Zhidong had been a benefactor to him. Before the situation was clear, he could not rashly take sides, and finally accepted Sun Wu's advice, going with him to the Left Banner barracks to remain in seclusion.

When Li Yuanhong left home, the messenger sent by Duanfang arrived late and was met with a closed door. After Li Yuanhong sealed off the town's garrison, the Wuchang Governor's Office faced an extremely awkward situation. Apart from the Governor's Office guards and less than one and a half battalions of the 30th Regiment, Duanfang only had the new recruits outside the city available.

However, the news that Li Yuanhong had announced the town's neutrality left Tie Liang and Duan Fang even more helpless. They were unsure whether Li Yuanhong truly wanted to distance himself from the situation or was observing the circumstances. The former would at least allow Li Yuanhong's three battalions to remain calm and wait for the matter to be resolved later, but if it was the latter, then the Governor's Mansion would be in danger tonight.

Both Bao Ying and Shu Qing'a, who had been urgently summoned, believed that new recruits should be deployed into the city to garrison key locations to prevent night attacks by the Hanyang and Hankou garrisons. However, they were divided on how many new recruits to deploy. Bao Ying seemed terrified, believing that the rebels, having captured the Hanyang arsenal, possessed formidable firepower and that all the new recruit battalions should be moved into the city. Shu Qing'a, however, argued that two to three battalions would suffice, and that the Governor's Guard and the remaining troops of the 30th Battalion should be assigned to the new recruit battalions for surveillance.

Duanfang leaned towards Baoying's opinion, while Tieliang supported Shuqing'a. They ultimately reached a compromise: two battalions of soldiers were transferred into the city, while the other four battalions were stationed at places like the Hanyang Gate wharf, allowing the new recruits to fight the rebels outside the city and weaken their forces. This seemed like a perfect plan, if the new recruits were willing to act as cannon fodder and fight to the death with the rebel forces crossing the river.

At 11 p.m., Duanfang finally issued the order to mobilize the new recruits into the city. By this time, the soldiers' committee of the new recruit camp had taken control of all the new recruit companies in the camp and decided to participate in the uprisings in Hanyang and Hankou.

Yang Kaijia, Wu Zhaolin, and other members of the new recruits' battalion's soldiers' committee brought Labor Party representatives Wang Chuzhen and Lin Gui into the battalion and explained the purpose and plan of the uprising. Through the radio, Wang Chuzhen and Lin Gui relayed news of the Hanyang workers' general strike to the officers and soldiers of the new recruits' battalion, informing them that the uprising had been successful in Hanyang and Hankou, and that only Wuchang remained. The main force of the 30th Battalion, which had crossed the river to suppress the uprising, had also suffered a crushing defeat.

These messages greatly boosted the soldiers' enthusiasm for participating in the uprising and their confidence in victory. Initially, Wang Chuzhen and Lin Gui planned to launch a strong attack on Wuchang City, coordinating with the new recruits at the Chu Wangtai Arsenal to first seize the arsenal, then control the Snake Hill Fort, then besiege the Governor's Mansion, and finally force Tie Liang and Duan Fang to surrender.

However, plans are clearly not always quick to change. Just as they finalized their plans, the governor's order arrived at the recruit camp. After receiving the order, Yang Kaijia and Wu Zhaolin said to their subordinates and colleagues, "These Manchus have no good intentions. Even at this point, they still want us to hold off the rebel forces outside the city. Isn't this clearly sending us to our deaths?"

However, the soldiers' committee decided to accept the order because that way they could enter the city openly.