Newborn 1927

Zhao Changming was summoned to Wu Miao's office and severely reprimanded: "Do you know what kind of behavior this is? Forming cliques! Let me tell you, it won't work here! You have money and you can afford to treat others, but what about the other company commanders? Everyone says you're a good commander, but no one else, including myself, knows how to be considerate of their brothers. You think you're so great! What are you trying to do? You're so rich, huh? Why don't you treat the whole regiment to a meal?"

Zhao Changming quickly admitted his mistake, saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry! County Chief Wu, I've put you in a difficult position. It's my fault, I'm really sorry! I was only thinking that we were going to the battlefield, where life and death were uncertain, so I wanted the brothers to have a good meal first. I really didn't think that much about it! How about this? I apologize to everyone. Tonight, I'd like to invite County Chief Wu, the three battalion commanders, and the company commanders to Qingfeng Restaurant for a drink. Consider it a send-off for our bandit suppression mission."

Wu Miao's expression immediately softened, and he said, "Logically speaking, we should give the brothers a toast to see them off. It's not that I don't care about the brothers, it's just that the funds are limited, so we can only make do and save as much as we can. To be honest, the money for improving everyone's meals today came out of my own pocket. I only kept quiet to save face for the county government."

Zhao Changming quickly praised, "County Chief Wu, your righteousness is admirable. How about this? Tonight's dinner will be on your behalf, and I'll pay for it." Wu Miao hesitated, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate? I heard your family isn't wealthy, how can you afford to treat us to a meal at a restaurant?" Zhao Changming immediately replied, "Actually, this money isn't mine. As everyone knows, our Zhao Family Village was robbed by bandits last year. The bandits not only robbed us but also killed people. The village head's family is either dead or has fled; we can't find a single person. The properties that originally belonged to them have been put into the clan's charitable granary. Since we've come out to suppress the bandits, the clan has decided to take some money from the granary to reward the brothers who fought the bandits. It's a way of making the best use of resources!" Wu Miao nodded, "I see. Our suppression of the bandits this time is also a way of avenging your Zhao family. It's understandable that you want to reward everyone."

Zhao Changming quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes. County Chief Wu, would you do me the honor of having a drink tonight?" Wu Miao smiled and said, "I shouldn't refuse, but isn't it a bit inappropriate for your Zhao Family Village to spend money and use my name to host this dinner?" Zhao Changming shook his head and said, "No, I think it's perfect. It shows that you, County Chief Wu, are considerate of your subordinates, which will motivate your men to work diligently. It also prevents our Zhao Family Village from appearing too special and being ostracized." Wu Miao replied, "Your Zhao Family Village's kindness should not only not be hidden, but should be widely publicized. I understand. Do a good job! I have high hopes for you!"

Wu Miao quickly relayed the message: Zhao Changming's treat to this meal was on behalf of Zhao Family Village to reward the brothers who had fought against the bandits. Due to Zhao Family Village's limited resources, only a company was invited. He himself intended to emulate Zhao Family Village's righteous act, but unfortunately, he was an honest official and lacked the funds, so he could only invite all officers of company commander rank and above in the regiment to Qingfeng Restaurant for a drink that evening.

Regardless of what the men below thought, the company commanders were naturally very happy and went without hesitation. Zhao Changming instructed Zhao Changgen to secretly contact the platoon leaders and invite them all to the small tavern from the previous day for another banquet.

Qingfenglou was bustling with activity today, not only with officers of the security regiment and above drinking there, but also with the heads of the county garrison. The garrison captain, Zhang Datou, claimed to be a cousin of Zhang Zongchang, having been promoted by the county magistrate himself. They and the deputy county magistrate were naturally from two different factions and didn't get along well. The reason was simple: the security regiment's presence reduced the county government's military expenditures, but it also gave local gentry the armed strength to oppose the county government. In recent years, exorbitant taxes and levies had piled up, deeply resented not only by the poor but also by the local gentry, who were now increasingly disobedient, finding various excuses to avoid paying. In this bandit suppression campaign, the security regiment and the garrison were not under each other's command, but merely cooperating. The garrison looked down on these country bumpkins, their eyes filled with disgust when they saw Zhao Changming and his group. Zhao Changming secretly remembered this expression.

Neither side greeted the other, and each chose a large round table to sit at. Wu Miao knew the local cuisine like the back of his hand, and immediately ordered a plethora of fine wines and dishes. Once the food and drinks were served, Wu Miao made a few polite remarks before leading everyone to begin eating. At first, everyone was rather reserved, but after a few drinks, the atmosphere became more lively. The security team had already started boasting and joking around.

Zhao Changming, sensing the opportune moment, suddenly asked, "County Chief Wu, I heard the garrison fought a battle with Qinglong Village last year and suffered heavy losses. Could you tell us more details so we all know what's going on?" Everyone stopped eating and looked at Wu Miao. Wu Miao replied, "Don't worry, everyone! Qinglong Village isn't anything special. Their young leader is the only one who's formidable. So young, yet ruthless and cunning. But he's dead. What's so special about Black Widow, a mere woman!"

Someone pressed, "How did the young master die?" Wu Miao replied, "A manager named Tian Wu from Qinglong Village was caught by the garrison. He wasn't very cooperative at first, but after a round of beatings, he confessed everything. He usually only cared about farming on the mountain and didn't pay much attention to the young master's background. He only knew that the young master was from Laiyang County, but didn't know where he came from. Besides, the bandits' publicly stated origins are often false and can't be trusted. This time, it was Tian Wu who led two sharpshooters from the garrison to ambush the young master on the way. I heard that the young master fell off his horse after being shot and died on the spot. There are also rumors that the young master was only unconscious and didn't die. In any case, being shot and falling off a horse, even if he didn't die, he was half-dead! So, we need to speed up our training, send troops as soon as possible, and wipe out this bandit gang."

Zhao Changming secretly rejoiced. Leading his brothers to the county town to assemble had actually been a great risk. Knowing Tian Wu was also in town had filled him with fear and apprehension. He wasn't sure if Tian Wu genuinely didn't know the young master's background or if he hadn't fully explained it, but now he felt relieved.

Zhao Changming shook his head and said, "County Chief Wu, something doesn't seem right about this. It's said that this 'Little Boss' was incredibly skilled at ambushing the garrison. If he were really that good, how could he have been so easily ambushed? The key is that the ambushers were from the garrison." Hearing this, everyone thought about it and realized it made sense. Someone asked, "Company Commander Zhao, what do you think happened?" Zhao Changming said, "Isn't it obvious? If that 'Little Boss' is so powerful, how could the garrison have the ability to kill him? If he were really dead, he couldn't have been so powerful. If you ask me, it's not that the opponent is too strong, it's that some people are too useless! Heh heh, some people are like that. Don't be fooled by their dignified and imposing appearances; they're just cowards! They suffer losses outside but refuse to admit they're useless, so they exaggerate the enemy's abilities to make excuses for their incompetence!" His voice was loud, and everyone heard him. Although he didn't name names, everyone knew who he was talking about. The security team members all turned to look at the police force on the other side.

The guards, used to their swagger in the city, couldn't stand this. "Bang!" someone slammed their fist on the table and yelled, "Who the hell are you cursing? You think I won't cripple you?" Zhao Changming replied sarcastically, "Oh, so cocky now? See, I told you so! This coward is a coward, only good for showing off in front of his own men. If he really encountered bandits, he'd turn tail and run, not daring to utter a sound, let alone fire a gun." The man was also hot-tempered, and having drunk quite a bit, his temper flared. He grabbed his wine glass and smashed it on the ground with a "smash," yelling, "If I don't cripple you today, I'll take your surname from now on!" Zhao Changming wasn't about to back down. He grabbed his wine glass and threw it, but not at the ground, but at a person. The glass hit a man squarely on the forehead—none other than their guard captain, Zhang Datou.

The security team erupted in chaos, grabbing glasses, plates, and bowls and throwing them at Zhao Changming. Zhao Changming, prepared, slipped under the table. Others weren't so lucky; several were hit, including Wu Miao, who suffered a cut on his forehead. Enraged, the security team retaliated with plates and glasses, then began throwing things and punching, resulting in a chaotic brawl.

Zhao Changming didn't participate in the melee. Instead, he slipped away unnoticed. He didn't run away to escape, but quickly headed towards the small tavern where Zhao Changgen had treated the platoon leaders to drinks. Laiyang County wasn't large, and the two places weren't far apart; they arrived quickly. Zhao Changming shouted, "Stop drinking! The garrison is beating County Magistrate Wu and your officers! Come with me to help! Anyone who doesn't go can explain themselves to County Magistrate Wu later!" Hearing this, who dared to sit still? They all rushed out the door. Zhao Changming led the platoon leaders towards Qingfeng Tower, while Zhao Changgen took the opportunity to return to the barracks.

In the past few days, security teams from various regions have converged on the county town, and the garrison has intensified patrols to maintain order. A small squad of garrison members happened to be patrolling nearby when they heard about the incident at Qingfeng Tower and rushed over immediately. Of course, they weren't there to mediate; instead, they joined in and began attacking the security team. When Zhao Changming arrived with his platoon leaders, the security team was cornered and helpless. Without Zhao Changming's encouragement, the platoon leaders charged forward, launching a surprise attack from behind the garrison. The security team, with its numerical advantage and pincer attack, immediately reversed the situation.

The melee was raging when a gunshot rang out, silencing the entire area. It was the patrol squad leader who, after being knocked down, had drawn his pistol and fired. He was relatively rational; he didn't shoot anyone, but fired into the air. Inside the building, the bullet struck a beam. Everyone who had come out to drink hadn't brought guns. The patrol members, however, were armed, so they pointed their weapons at the security guards in front of them, ordering them to raise their hands and squat down. Seeing that they had the situation under control, the drunken security guards became enraged, punching and kicking the security guards while cursing. Zhao Changming, with his hands covering his head and squatting on the ground, couldn't escape being beaten either.

Just then, Zhao Changgen arrived with his entire company, a force of over a hundred men, filling the entire Qingfeng Building. Taking advantage of their numbers, Zhao Changgen disarmed the garrison, and the situation reversed once again. This time, it was the security regiment's turn to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks on the garrison members.

The gunshots clearly alerted other patrolling guards, who rushed to the scene and confronted the security team on the street. Regardless of the standoff outside, the security team maintained control inside. Wu Miao, also beaten, was bruised and swollen, completely losing his former authority. Still somewhat rational, he walked up to the squad leader who had fired the shot and demanded, "This drunken brawl isn't a big deal. What the hell did you mean by firing a gun?" The squad leader stammered, "I...I just wanted everyone to stop, nothing more." Wu Miao sneered, "If you had drawn your gun the moment you arrived, that would be maintaining order. If you could stop them from continuing after we stopped, that would be fulfilling your duty. We stopped, but you didn't, what's the meaning of this?" The squad leader looked helpless; they were his superiors, how could he possibly stop them?

Wu Miao turned around and said, "Take this bastard back to the barracks and lock him up." Zhao Changgen agreed and ordered two regimental members to arrest the squad leader. Zhang Datou shouted, "Stop!" and stepped forward. Wu Miao looked at him and said, "We'll talk about our business later. I'm taking this man with me. Come to my place tomorrow to pick him up! You'd better think carefully about how you're going to come!" After saying that, he turned and walked out. Zhang Datou cursed, "You bastard Wu, I'm not finished with you!" On the street, the number of security guards who arrived was too small, and they could only watch helplessly as the security regiment took away one of their squad leaders.

Early the next morning, Zhang Datou arrived at the security regiment. He didn't come alone; he accompanied the county magistrate of Laiyang County. They talked for a long time in Wu Miao's office, and then left with the squad leader they had arrested the previous night. As for the dozen or so guns that Zhao Changgen had seized, they were not taken away and remained with the security regiment.

Wu Miao quickly summoned officers of company commander rank and above to the conference room for a meeting. There wasn't much to discuss; Wu Miao announced directly, "The battle plan has been finalized. We'll depart after lunch. The garrison will resupply us with ammunition." Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, feeling a bit surprised. Zhao Changming asked, "May I ask, County Chief Wu, will we lead the charge or will the garrison lead the charge?" Wu Miao shook his head, saying, "There's no such question. We'll operate separately from the garrison. According to the original plan, of the three armies, we would join forces with the Haiyang County army in Facheng, then head north to Xujiadian to attack Qinglongzhai from the front, while the Qixia County army would flank us from the rear. Now there's a slight change. Our security regiment will still advance as planned. The garrison will operate independently, becoming the fourth army." Zhao Changming immediately pressed, "With just over two hundred men, operating independently? Are they planning to slip away? Luring us to fight in Xujiadian while they enjoy a life of leisure in the county town?" That makes perfect sense, everyone agreed.