Black Flag Army

Chapter 172 The Poor Brigadier

Lan Jinping said angrily, "Beijing's public security is too bad. How dare someone kidnap a celebrity like you, and kidnap him three times? What kind of bastards are they?"

Liu Xikui sighed, "Of course they are all powerful people. In front of them, I, an actor, am just a lamb to be slaughtered. The first time was the Third Master Yuan. At that time, his father, President Yuan, was still on the stage, so naturally no one dared to stop him. Although the police were called, when the police arrived and saw that it was the Third Master Yuan, they immediately ran away quickly, fearing that he would see them. As a result, in broad daylight, in front of so many people in the theater, I was tied up and carried away. The second time was Premier Duan’s nephew Duan Hongshi. I was gagged in my sleep at night, tied up, and taken away in a carriage. This time the theater After I called the police, they did help. They stopped the carriage on the way. Because they didn’t recognize Duan Hongshi, but Duan Hongshi only spent fifty dollars, the police let him go. They also accused me of wearing too bright clothes. The third time was when Cao Kun, the governor of Zhili, ordered people from the Tianjin Police Department to go to Beijing and pretend to be kidnappers to arrest me. They took me to the interrogation room of the Tianjin Police Department and forced me to marry Cao Kun as a concubine. Otherwise, they would torture me and force me to admit that I was a spy for the Southern Army, and spies were to be shot. Fortunately, someone reported it to President Xu, and President Xu came out to reprimand Cao Kun, and he let me go. "

Di Xiong smiled and said, "It seems that President Xu has done some good things. It's not that he is limited in ability as you just said!"

Di Xiong thought: When Cao Kun ousts Xu Shichang and becomes president in three years, your life will be even more difficult. He knew what would happen to Liu Xikui. Later, in order to find a reason to stop President Cao Kun from forcing her to marry him, Liu Xikui hurriedly married Cui Chengchi, a junior officer who was more than a dozen years older than her. After only one year of marriage, Cao Kun, who was angry and embarrassed, sent someone to poison Cui Chengchi to death. Liu Xikui gave birth to a son for Cui Chengchi and remained a widow until her death.

Liu Xikui said: "President Xu is also my admirer. He saved me only out of selfish motives."

Lan Jinping said seriously, "Beijing under Beiyang rule is a city with too many bad people and the law of the jungle. It is as dangerous as a rampant tiger and wolf. It is really not suitable to stay for a long time. In my opinion, you might as well consider settling in our Beihai Province! After all, you performed three shows in Beitang City today, and each show was packed with people. It can be seen that there are many audiences and loyal fans who love opera here."

Liu Xikui frowned slightly, staring into the distance, as if lost in thought. After a while, she slowly said: "The suggestion you put forward really makes me excited. Compared with the smoky Beijing, Beihai Province is as peaceful and tranquil as a paradise, and its strong military strength is even more impressive. Even the arrogant old Russians and the cunning and treacherous Japanese pirates are afraid and dare not provoke them easily. However, after all, I have lived in Beijing, an ancient and charming city, for a long time, and it carries too many beautiful memories.

Every familiar street and every friendly face are like a part of my life, deeply imprinted in my heart. Moreover, there are many beloved relatives and close friends around me, all of whom are my inseparable concerns. This emotional bond cannot be severed overnight, it has long been integrated into my blood and become a part of my soul. It is not easy to leave these warm embraces! "

Di Xiong took out a seal from his bosom, handed it to Liu Xikui and said, "We certainly respect your choice. If you encounter an emergency in Beijing and need help, take this seal to Dashengkui Store or Yinji Printing Factory. They will definitely help you leave Beijing. In special circumstances, they will also take the same seal to contact you."

Liu Xikui excitedly took the seal and said, "Thank you, Commander-in-Chief! I finally have a talisman."

Di Xiong said: "As a famous Peking Opera actor, you are actually a treasure of the Chinese nation. We don't want you to come to any harm."

When Liu Xikui heard this, tears welled up in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She choked up and said, "I am just a humble actor. I never thought that one day I would be praised as a treasure of the Chinese nation. I am flattered and deeply terrified by this honor. I really don't know what merits and talents I have to deserve such attention and love from you, the commander-in-chief?"

She gently wiped away the tears from her eyes, her eyes full of gratitude, but also revealed a hint of confusion. Liu Xikui was overwhelmed by such sudden praise. She knew that although the opera industry she was engaged in was well-loved, it was ultimately just a form of entertainment. How could it be compared with the treasures of the country and the nation?

However, facing the sincere and determined gaze of Commander-in-Chief Di, Liu Xikui gradually felt a warm current in her heart. Perhaps it was this recognition and encouragement that made her realize that she had a certain responsibility and mission. From now on, she will work harder to study her skills, pass on the classics, and repay Commander-in-Chief Di and all those who support her with practical actions.

On the morning of April 15, 1919, at the dilapidated Changde Town Guard Mansion in Changde City, Hunan Province, two young men in gray and white shirts came to the gate of the mansion and asked to see the Town Guard Feng Jishan. The guard at the gate asked their names and purpose. One of the tall short-haired men called himself Tian Dabao, and the other short bald man called himself Qiu Chengliang. Both said they were from Dashengkui Trading Company and came to deliver a letter to Town Guard Feng. One guard went in to report, and the other guard checked their bodies and bags and found no weapons. At this time, the guard who reported came back and said the two could go in.

The garrison commander Feng Jishan met them in his office, which was also very shabby. The paint on the black desk had peeled off, revealing pieces of yellow wood. There were several patches on Feng Jishan's military uniform and a look of sadness on his face.

Feng Jishan didn't know Tian Dabao, but he knew Qiu Chengliang, who often delivered the "Justice Daily" to him. Due to his busy schedule and frequent military deployments, Qiu Chengliang could not deliver it every day, but he delivered it once a week, seven copies each time, not a single copy less. Even though the newspaper was not from that day and had expired, Feng Jishan still read it with relish.

Since the publication of "Justice Daily", the intelligence group under the Intelligence Department has been sending newspapers for free to three people according to Di Xiong's request. They are Wang Yaqiao in Shanghai, Li Xiangtan and Feng Jishan in Changsha. This is because they are not available at local newsstands. Of course, people have to be willing to read it. If they don't read it at all, of course they won't receive it. Fortunately, these three people like to read "Justice Daily" very much. Li Xiangtan also reprinted some of the articles in it in the "Xiangshui Forum" which he hosted.

After Qiu Chengliang introduced Tian Dabao's identity, Feng Jishan asked the two to sit down on the broken chairs and asked the guard company commander Zhao Dengyu to serve them tea. The tea was real boiled water, and not even a trace of tea leaves could be seen. Tian Dabao is now the head of the Changsha Intelligence Group.

Qiu Chengliang said, "Captain Feng! This is the most dilapidated garrison I have ever seen. As far as I know, Changde is not poor! It is adjacent to Dongting Lake in the north and is known as the throat of Sichuan and Guizhou, and the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou. Isn't its tax revenue enough for you to repair the garrison?"

Feng Jishan sighed and said, "I also want to build a mansion, but there are too many refugees fleeing from other parts of Hunan. It takes a lot of money to resettle the refugees, otherwise many people will die of hunger and cold. I have paid taxes, my own military pay and public funds, but it is still not enough. How can I get the money to build a garrison?"

Tian Dabao said with emotion: "It is said that 'the prosperity of the two lakes means the prosperity of the whole world'! Back then, Hunan was a famous land of fish and rice! However, since the North-South War, this once rich and fertile land has become a battlefield of brutal fighting. Innocent people have suffered endless hardships brought by the war, and their lives have become miserable. What is even more tragic is that the Beiyang government actually sent a villain named Zhang Jingyao to serve as the governor. This man is greedy and crazy. He plundered the wealth of the people crazily and has no humanity at all! As a result, the common people were forced into a desperate situation and had no choice but to flee their homes. Fortunately, Changde City, which is under the jurisdiction of Brigadier General Feng, has not been affected by the war. Perhaps this is the only pure land left in Hunan today. It's a pity that officials as upright and honest as Brigadier General Feng are rare and few in number!"

Feng Jishan said with emotion: "You can't say that. Your boss Di Congmo is really amazing! He manages Beihai Province in an orderly manner! Now he should be called General Di! According to newspaper reports, he has taken in more than 10 million refugees! Brother Di is really amazing! Not only can he feed these tens of millions of refugees, but he can also let them live a stable life, and he still has the energy to fight foreign wars, recover lost territory, and win victory after victory! And I have only received hundreds of thousands of refugees here, which has made me anxious and worried! I really can't figure out how he managed to feed more than 10 million people? Compared with him, my ability is far behind!"

Tian Dabao said, "You have been in correspondence with him, haven't you? Just write to him and ask him and you will know. Also, Mr. Di knows that you are poor, so he asked me to bring you a check for 100,000 yuan. You can cash it at the local Dashengkui Trading Company at any time."

He took out a check and handed it to Feng Jishan.

Feng Jishan shook his head and said, "Every time I was in trouble, Brother Di always helped me, but I can't accept it anymore! I owe him too many favors, and I won't be able to repay him in the future!"

At this time, the training battalion commander Zhang Zizhong, who was waiting outside the door to report the matter, could not help but walk in and said, "Why can't you accept this money? General Di has done something wrong to you before. Last time, his brother Wu Chunlei poached more than a hundred outstanding officers and soldiers from us at once. These were all trained by you with great effort. Even Chief of Staff Jiang was poached by him. This money is his apology."

Feng Jishan said, "Don't talk nonsense. They volunteered to join the Black Flag Army. I was dismissed from my post as brigade commander at that time. They were driven out of the army by Yang Guitang, and even the whole family had trouble eating. Where else would they go if not to Beitang City? Would they be left to starve to death? Brother Di didn't treat them badly. Chief of Staff Jiang became the Chief of Staff of the Black Flag Army, Feng Anbang and Liu Ruming also became the commander and deputy commander of the army group, and many others became division commanders and brigade commanders. They made great achievements in the battle to recover the lost territory in the north, and each of them became a national hero. It's much better than following me, a useless brigade commander who is short of food and pay."

Tian Dabao waved his hands and said, "Brigade Commander Feng, please don't say that! Mr. Di has praised you in front of us more than once! He often mentioned to us your extraordinary training ability and praised your training ability as the best in the world. It's a pity that you are upright and resolutely refused to bribe those corrupt officials, so you were suppressed by the joint crackdown of the Anhui and Zhili warlords. It's really a hero without a place to use his talents! But as the saying goes, 'Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west', I believe that with your ability, Brigade Commander Feng, sooner or later you will be famous all over the world."

Then, Tian Dabao continued with a guilty look on his face: "Last time, Commander Wu poached more than a hundred outstanding officers and soldiers from you. This was indeed not a very fair thing to do. On behalf of Mr. Di, I would like to express my deep apologies to you. Mr. Di also said that if it were not for the more than a hundred brave and skilled officers and soldiers trained by you, our battle to recover the lost territory in the north would not have progressed so smoothly. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that you also contributed a lot to this victory! So you must accept this money."

Qiu Chengliang said seriously, "Captain Feng, I know you are always upright and honest, but the current situation is special. If you only care about your personal reputation and refuse to accept this financial assistance, not only will your loyal soldiers suffer, but you will also watch countless displaced, hungry and cold refugees die tragically on the streets because they cannot get timely help! Can you bear to see such a tragic situation? You know, these refugees are already on the verge of life and death, and people are killed by hunger every moment! Although you have good intentions to help them out of their predicament, the reality is cruel and ruthless-without enough money to support them, any goodwill is empty talk!

Besides, Mr. Di is your sworn brother! How could he do something to harm his own brother? So please believe that Mr. Di has absolutely no ill intentions or attempts to use money to influence you to do things, please put your worries aside! "

Feng Jishan sighed heavily and said, "Alas... Never mind! For the sake of those poor refugees, I will accept the money. But let me be frank. Just like last time, this money can only be regarded as a temporary loan. When I have more money in the future, I will definitely return it in full."

Tian Dabao quickly responded, "Of course, it's up to you. You said it was a loan, not a gift, so just treat it as a loan." As he spoke, Tian Dabao's eyes involuntarily fell on Feng Jishan's patched clothes, thinking to himself, "You've become so poor, I don't know when you'll be able to pay the money back."