Black Flag Army

The next night, the Justice Party held an emergency meeting, attended by all middle and senior management in Baotou. Leng Hanbing first reported the attack on the aircraft factory at the meeting and made a self-criticism, admitting that the Supervision Department made mistakes in this matter, allowing the Japanese to get in and almost blow up the aircraft factory, and requested punishment from the top management of the Justice Party.

Wu Zhong asked Leng Hanbing, "Have all the Japanese who participated in the attack been captured?"

Wu Zhong has handed over the position of mayor of Baotou to Duan Luzhuang, the former general manager of Da Kui Sheng, and returned to Beihai Company to serve as general manager again. Bu Zhaorui, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and Guo Xiangji, vice president, and Wu Ergong have also become the chairman and vice chairman of the Baotou Municipal Council.

Leng Hanbing said: "With the cooperation of the Baotou Police Department and the Guard Brigade Cavalry Regiment, we searched the entire Baotou City and chased them as far as Tokto County, and only then did we kill or capture all the members of the Japanese Black Dragon Society. Two policemen and a Guard Brigade cavalryman were sacrificed, and the leader of the Supervision Section, Gu Xingzhi, was also seriously injured. The leader of this group is called Tachibana Daisuke, who was sent by Yoshida Ryozo, the president of the Beijing Black Dragon Society. We have already killed Tachibana Daisuke in Tokto County."

After Di Xiong became the commander of the Suiyuan Garrison, all five battalions under his command became garrison troops, and the Baotou Garrison Brigade was established. Zhang Zhenyang became the brigade commander, and Liu Chengliang served as the chief of staff. There were two regiments under it, the first regiment was led by Zhu Anbang, and the second regiment was led by Liu Zhendong. The second regiment had only two battalions. The number of the previous patrol regiment was returned to Zhang Shaozeng, who used it to recruit Lu Zhankui, the biggest horse bandit leader in Suiyuan, and Lu Zhankui became the commander of the fourth patrol regiment.

Wu Zhong thought that Zhang Zhenyang was promoted too quickly, from deputy battalion commander to brigade commander in less than a year, and that he might become too powerful to be removed. He advised Di Xiong to serve as brigade commander part-time and let Zhang Zhenyang be deputy brigade commander, but Di Xiong refused.

Lan Jinping said to Di Xiong, "I've said it before, it's very dangerous to put those dozen Japanese women in the massage center. Although they helped the company earn a lot of money, once something goes wrong, the cost will far exceed the money. Because they were captured in the first place, they appear to be docile on the surface, but they hate us deep down."

Di Xiong nodded and said, "This is my responsibility. I was only concerned with making money. I have ordered them all to be locked up in Baotou Prison and interrogated carefully."

In the dormitory of Mengjiang College in Beijing, Qingniu and Dapeng were packing their luggage. Qingniu said to Dapeng, "Have you heard? Huter is getting married to Bian Caiyun. They are holding a wedding banquet at Lanji Hotel tomorrow and have invited us. You were not in the dormitory just now, so he asked me to tell you. Are you going?"

Dapeng was surprised and said, "He really got that female student? Damn, a good cabbage was eaten by a pig. He just graduated yesterday and is getting married tomorrow. This guy is too lucky. Since we are classmates, I must go to show my support."

At Gaosheng Hotel, Xian Yuji took a shower in the bathroom, returned to the room, and lay down on the bed. Tang Qianhu, who was sitting beside the bed, took out various tools and materials and began to put on makeup for her. Tang Qianhu worked very seriously, even painting red nail polish on his fingernails and toenails. It took an hour to finish. Guo Jincai and the other three were stunned by Xian Yuji's beauty after makeup.

Guo Jincai said angrily: "Brother Tang San made Team Leader Xian so beautiful, but she got the chance to be taken care of by that fat black guy Huter. It's like a flower stuck in cow dung."

Yuan Xiaobao said, "He is a Mongolian prince. We have to work for him to make a living. Otherwise, I really want to kill this fat black man."

Deputy team leader Hu Canglang said calmly: "Team leader Xian is already beautiful, and makeup is just the icing on the cake. Using Huter to help us establish a base in Outer Mongolia is an important part of the Justice Party's recovery of Outer Mongolia. Everyone should not be too impulsive and make Team Leader Xian's sacrifice worthless."

Tang Qianhu said to Xian Yuji, "Now that you're married to Huter, won't we have a chance to get close to you?"

Xian Yuji smiled and said, "I am not satisfied with this fat black man at all. It is not easy for you to cheat on him. Isn't Guo Jincai a cook? Just put some drugs in the food."

After the wedding, Xian Yuji introduced four of Huter's men. She said, "My parents died early, and I only have one older brother who does business in Suiyuan. After I got into trouble on the street last time, my older brother was worried about me being alone outside, so he sent four servants from the Bian Mansion to serve me and protect my safety. This is Bian Cai, the youngest one, only 18 years old."

Xian Yuji used the alias Bian Caiyun, and of course the four servants all had the surname Bian, and Bian Cai was Guo Jincai.

Huter frowned and said, "Why are there only male servants and no female servants? This Bian Cai is just a pretty boy! Does he want to go to Erdenet with us too?"

Guo Jincai cursed in his heart but didn't dare to say it out loud. Xian Yuji smiled and said, "Although Bian Cai is young, he is an excellent chef and his dishes are very delicious. The braised lion's head you had at the banquet today was made by him. I'm afraid I can't get used to the food in Outer Mongolia. Bring a chef over, won't you have a treat?"

Huter nodded and said, "Since he's a cook, take him with you. Outer Mongolia is really short of cooks."

Xian Yuji pointed at Tang Qianhu and said, "This is Bian Hu, a makeup artist with very high skills. He did my makeup at the wedding."

Although Huter had met Tang Qianhu, who was disguised as an old man, he obviously did not recognize him. Tang Qianhu knew that Huter was narrow-minded, so he made himself look dark and ugly. As expected, Huter agreed to take Tang Qianhu with him without saying anything against it.

Xian Yuji continued, "This Bian Bao is a doctor. Everyone gets sick. A doctor can save your life at a critical moment. You should always take this doctor with you, right?"

Huter nodded and said, "There is a serious shortage of doctors on the grassland. When my mother was sick, there was no doctor, so we only hired a shaman to perform a ritual. As a result, she died. If there is a doctor, of course we should take him with us."

Hu Canglang was the last one to stand up. He was tall and had a red scar on his face, which made him look fierce. Huter was startled and asked Xian Yuji, "What does this person do?"

Xian Yuji said: "This Bian Lang is a musician. He plays the erhu very well and can sing. The journey back to Outer Mongolia is very long. With him playing and singing, the journey will definitely not be boring."

Huter shook his head and said, "In Erdenet, many elderly people can play the huqin. This skill is really useless. Don't take him with you. Let him go back to your hometown."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, only Xian Yuji said calmly: "His ability is not only to play the erhu, he is also good at kung fu and marksmanship. He was doing business in Outer Mongolia with the Dashengkui Trading Company and was kidnapped by horse bandits in Hangai Mountain and forced to be a horse bandit for several months. Later, he shot and killed the horse bandit leader, escaped from the mountain stronghold, and returned to Baotou. He was given a resounding nickname 'Mobei Canglang' and is the best marksman among our border servants."

Hearing this, Huter laughed and said, "I didn't expect you to be a martial artist. But I guess you can't compare to our Mongolian warriors. You know, our ancestral Golden Family swept across the Eurasian continent relying on horseback and archery. Do you think a horse bandit can show off? But for the sake of your young lady, this prince can be generous for once. You can also go with us, but you have to do more heavy and rough work because you look the strongest."

Hu Canglang was certainly not convinced by this fat man in his heart, but he kept thanking him. No matter what, the four people finally got Huter's recognition. Huter also introduced his guard captain Subuda. Soon, Huter asked someone to take a letter to the Mengjiang Administration Office of the Beiyang Government, stating that he was about to return to his hometown. After getting consent, he and several of his guards and Xian Yujie and his party set out on the road back to Erdenet. They hired three carriages, one for people and two for cargo. Huter and Xian Yujie had a total of twelve riders guarding in front and behind the carriages, while Huter lay comfortably in the carriage with a cloak, holding the beautiful bride Xian Yujie in his arms.

Huter's convoy did not have a smooth journey on the road. After entering Zhangbei County, Zhili Province, they got off the car to eat at a roadside restaurant. Her beauty attracted the attention of a patrol officer in the restaurant. When Xian Yuji saw the yellow-faced officer looking at her lustfully, she had a bad feeling and stopped eating halfway through. She asked everyone else to get in the car and mount their horses to continue their journey.

"Stop, the carriage ahead stops!"

On a deserted path, the officer and a dozen cavalrymen chased after them, shouting. Huter was so scared that he was shaking all over and had to ask the driver to stop. A dozen cavalrymen surrounded the carriage with rifles. The yellow-faced officer shouted, "I am Zhang Jizhong, the platoon leader of the Sixth Patrol Brigade of Zhili. I suspect that a woman in the car is a horse bandit from Taihang Mountain. We need to take her back for interrogation. Get off the car and follow us."

Xian Yuji lifted the curtain of the carriage and sneered, "You are so shameless to stop someone and rob them, and you still say it so confidently." She held the Browning pistol and fired. With a "bang", Zhang Jizhong fell off his horse, and blood flowed from his chest. Almost at the same time, Hu Canglang and four other men also fired. Seeing this, Huter's guards also drew their guns and fired, "bang bang bang..." After a burst of gunfire, all twelve cavalrymen fell in a pool of blood. They didn't even have time to fire a single shot. Half of them were knocked down by Hu Canglang alone. He held a gun in each hand and shot very quickly. Among Huter's guards, only the captain Subuda shot and killed a patrol soldier.

Huter said in panic: "We killed the patrol soldiers. Will we be sued?"

Xian Yuji said without fear: "Just leave. If anyone asks, just say that the horse bandits killed him."

At this time, Di Xiong was a little worried. The Japanese attack on the aircraft factory forced him to strengthen his management in Baotou. After Zhu Zhuquan died, he arranged for his body to be properly buried. Feng Ru cried and fainted at the funeral. On the other hand, he repeatedly apologized to Feng Ru and the other three for this matter. To be fair, Zhu Zhuquan's accidental death was mainly caused by his own lust. Although he died heroically, the massage center where Dong Xuechun worked was also under Di Xiong, and Di Xiong was not without any responsibility. Therefore, Feng Ru was angry with Di Xiong again. In Di Xiong's constant self-blame and reflection, Feng Ru gradually calmed down. However, at this time, Feng Ru had been hit by the continuous death of his assistants and had lost some of his spirit. He had not gone to the aircraft factory to study aircraft for several days, but drank all day. Di Xiong knew that Feng Ru was pursuing Tian Mengxue recently, so he persuaded Tian Mengxue to agree to marry Feng Ru. Feng Ru was happy and quit drinking at Tian Mengxue's request.

But what gave Di Xiong a headache was far more than just this matter. That morning, Lan Jinchun took several newspapers of the day with some unhappiness and said to Di Xiong: "Brother, your previous judgments were all correct. Nanjing was occupied by the Beiyang Army a few days ago. Although the young soldiers of the revolutionary party fought hard, their numbers were too small after all. They failed after a short resistance due to heavy casualties. The reporter He Haiming also fled to Shanghai, and the Guangdong doctor and the Changsha gentleman, according to some newspapers, have fled to Japan. The so-called 'Second Revolution' has completely failed."

Di Xiong replied: "The failure of the revolutionary party itself is not difficult to judge. The problem now is that after the Beiyang Army won a great victory, the army suddenly increased to hundreds of thousands, and Yuan Shikai was freed up. I'm afraid our days here will not be easy. We have had a rare half year of stable life, and I'm afraid it will be gone forever."

Lan Jinchun seemed to have thought of something and asked, "After the victory this time, will the Beiyang government come to deal with General Zhang and us? After all, General Zhang did not participate in this war from beginning to end."

Di Xiong said with a gloomy face: "This is what I am worried about. General Zhang is not actually a direct descendant of Beiyang, and his relationship with Yuan Shikai is not very good. The use of new aircraft in the battle with the Shanxi Army also made General Zhang's edge exposed, which may easily attract the attention of Beiyang. Our current strength is still too weak to fight against Beiyang. Now we can only hope that Beiyang will not pay too much attention to Suiyuan, otherwise, we may have to continue to flee."

Lan Jinchun asked again: "Is there no force in China that can fight against the Beiyang government? Are they so invincible?"

Di Xiong said: "Of course not. The revolutionary party of Guangdong doctors is by no means a force that can be ignored, and the Beiyang government is not monolithic. Duan Qirui and Feng Huafu within them have tended to grow in power this year, especially Feng Huafu. The reason why the Second Revolution lasted from early July to the end of September was because he had a lot of plans in his mind. In addition, the Beiyang government's strength is closely related to the support of foreign powers, and there have been many conflicts among European countries recently. By next year, they may not have the energy to care about China's affairs. Therefore, we can't be too pessimistic."

However, the situation that Di Xiong did not want to see still occurred. In October, Yuan Shikai in Beijing was planning to become the official president. At the same time, he asked his subordinates to send a telegram to Guisui to commend Zhang Shaozeng for his meritorious service in fighting against the Mongols in Suiyuan. He was transferred to Beijing to serve as the General of Shuwei in the newly established General Office. The affairs of Suiyuan would be handled by Pan Juying, an old subordinate of Zhang Shaozeng. This appointment was ostensibly to promote Zhang Shaozeng, but in fact it was to deprive him of his military power.

After receiving the transfer order, Zhang Shaozeng summoned his close subordinates and told them about the matter. Zhang Zhijiang and Shi Jingting both advocated rejecting the order and asking the Beiyang government to revoke it. Only Chief of Staff Wang Fangting believed that the overall situation should be taken into consideration and orders should be obeyed, because if a fight broke out with the Beiyang Army, the Outer Mongolian Army would certainly take advantage of the situation and enter Suiyuan to burn, kill and loot, and then everyone would become sinners of the country.

Zhang Shaozeng said, "We only have four regiments now. It is still questionable whether Lu Zhankui's newly recruited regiment will listen to me. Even if we add brother Di's two regiments, there are only six regiments. The Beiyang side has more than 100,000 regular troops in Beijing and Zhili alone. There is no way to resist. Many officers in our army still have family members in Beijing. Once a conflict occurs, there is a great possibility that they will turn against us like the South did. So we have no choice but to obey orders. It's just that I'm sorry to brother Di for letting him fight alone and ruining the great cause of recovering Outer Mongolia."

Zhang Zhijiang said: "If you leave, what will happen to the army? The Pans will definitely take over these four regiments and purge us officers again."

Zhang Shaozeng said, "You can choose between two options. One is to join Brother Di. He is generous and righteous, knows how to use people, and knows how to make money. You won't suffer any loss if you follow him. The other is to follow me to Beijing. You will temporarily lose your military power. When I become successful, I will arrange for you to lead the troops."

Wang Fangting and Shi Jingting both expressed their willingness to follow Zhang Shaozeng, even if they could only be his followers. Zhang Shusheng said he would go to join Di Xiong. Only Zhang Zhijiang chose the third path and went to Shaanxi to join Feng Jishen, who had already become a brigade commander.