Among the uprisings in the late Qing Dynasty, the Anqing Uprising led by Xu Xilin was an extremely famous one.

To achieve the anti-Manchu goal, Xu Xilin and others gradually developed the idea of "overturning the Qing court with tactics." They intended to use the method of buying official titles to let members of the Restoration Society (*Guang Fu Hui*) learn military affairs and take the opportunity to infiltrate the Qing court to master military power. So he bought a *Dao Yuan* (Intendant) title from the Qing court, designated as an expectant official in Anhui. Through various activities, in the winter of 1905, funded by Xu Kecheng of Shaoxing and recommended by Xu Xilin's cousin-uncle, Hunan Governor Yu Liansan, Xu Xilin, Ma Zonghan, and Chen Boping each bought an official position and were approved to go to Japan to study the army. But after arriving in Japan, due to the obstruction of the Qing court's minister to Japan, the plan to study the army was destroyed, and they returned home helplessly.

After returning to China, Xu Xilin and others intended to further infiltrate the government, "using power to overturn the barbarian court." By mobilizing and utilizing various relationships, Xu Xilin sought the matter of preparing the Anqing Army Elementary School. Later, due to the recommendation of his cousin-uncle Yu Liansan and Xu Xilin's own shrewdness and competence, he finally received the heavy trust of Anhui Governor En Ming in the thirty-second year of Guangxu. In winter, he arrived in Anqing and reported to the Governor's Yamen. After En Ming met him, he appointed him as the Anhui Police Intendant. He carefully ingratiated himself, bowing to En Ming as his teacher. En Ming regarded him as a trusted aide and appointed him concurrently as the Co-Director of the Police Academy. Xu Xilin ate the salary of the Qing court but never changed his revolutionary ambition for a moment. In February 1907, Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin agreed to hold anti-Qing armed uprisings in Anhui and Zhejiang simultaneously. The uprising was originally scheduled for July 19. Because a triad member was arrested in Shanghai and confessed some aliases and secret codes of the revolutionaries, Liangjiang Governor-General Duan Fang telegraphed En Ming to arrest and punish them. En Ming summoned Xu Xilin to discuss the plan. Seeing his alias on the list, Xu Xilin knew the situation was pressing, so he decided to rise up on July 8 when the Police Academy held the graduation ceremony. Unexpectedly, En Ming had something to do on this day and asked to advance the graduation ceremony by two days. Helplessly, the uprising had to be held on the 6th. External aid did not arrive, preparation was not complete, and the uprising was worrying.

On July 6, 1907, Restoration Society member Xu Xilin, Co-Director of the Anhui Police Department and Supervisor of the Police Academy, planned and organized the assassination of Anhui Governor En Ming in Anqing, and led the student army to rise up, capturing the Arsenal. After 4 hours of fierce fighting, the uprising failed. Xu Xilin and others were arrested and died heroically.

But now Chen Ke had returned to 1905 and had quite a few dealings with Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin. Yet he didn't know how Xu Xilin's recent situation was, whether it would still develop the same as in history.

"The Xu Xilin Wenqing mentioned is the Chief Instructor of the Anqing Army Elementary School, right?" Hearing Chen Ke ask about Xu Xilin, Pu Guanshui thought for a while before answering.

"That's him." Chen Ke was somewhat excited.

"Oh, this Xu Xilin runs to the New Army often when he has nothing to do. Moreover, he has a relative named Qiu Jin, who also came to Anqing and opened a girls' school. It is quite famous in Anqing."

History has indeed changed! Chen Ke thought somewhat helplessly. In history, Qiu Jin prepared to rise up simultaneously with Xu Xilin in Anhui and Shaoxing. As a result, Xu Xilin failed, and news leaked. Qiu Jin was arrested at the Datong School in Shaoxing and died two days later. Now Qiu Jin actually arrived in Anhui too, and opened a girls' school in Anqing. This variable made Chen Ke somewhat puzzled.

"Does Wenqing know these two people?" Pu Guanshui saw some clues.

"Know them. Both of them are revolutionaries. But they belong to the Restoration Society. Not on the same path as us."

"No wonder Xu Xilin always runs to the New Army. Contacting up and down, very active. It seems he wants to incite the New Army to rebel." Pu Guanshui's voice contained quite some malicious intent.

Chen Ke could understand; Pu Guanshui regarded the Anhui New Army as his own territory. Regardless of whether Xu Xilin was a revolutionary, first of all, Xu Xilin tried to incite the New Army to rise up, which disrupted Pu Guanshui's calculation. Pu Guanshui naturally wouldn't have any good impression of Xu Xilin.

Pu Guanshui suddenly laughed: "Since Wenqing mentioned Xu Xilin, presumably you already have a plan. Might as well tell me."

"Although Anqing is the provincial capital of Anhui, it is located in a corner of Anhui. I want to take the route of the common people, starting from the countryside, surrounding the cities with the countryside. So Anqing is of little significance to me. However, if Anqing is captured by the revolutionary army, Anhui will inevitably be in chaos. Wouldn't we be able to save a lot of trouble?" Chen Ke had no bad feeling towards Xu Xilin personally, and could even be said to have a good impression. But Chen Ke believed that on the road of revolution, personal feelings must never play an important role. Sometimes, sacrifice is also necessary.

Pu Guanshui was a smart person; he understood Chen Ke's meaning as soon as he heard it. He laughed: "Wenqing wants me to lend this Xu Xilin a hand? Once Anqing is occupied by the revolutionary army, Wenqing can attack Fengyang Prefecture immediately. With these eight thousand people in your hand, taking down Fengyang Prefecture is really a piece of cake. At that time, you can gallop freely east or west. While the revolutionary army in Anqing has to guard against the Qing army on the Yangtze River on one hand. Moreover, Anqing is surrounded by mountains on three sides; marching and fighting is very inconvenient. As long as they can persist for a year, no, as long as they can persist for half a year, Wenqing can take down quite a lot of territory here."

"Roughly so. But Guanshui, you can stay here for two months. I suggest you take a good look at what kind of new world the Fengtai County base area is to be built into. After you finish looking at the base area, you will know how to help Xu Xilin." Speaking of this, Chen Ke suddenly sighed. "Mr. Xu is a revolutionary with lofty ideals; I admire this very much. But this time we can only let Mr. Xu launch the uprising himself. I'll hide behind and take some advantage."

These words were so implicit; Pu Guanshui laughed loudly after hearing them. "Wenqing, don't be afraid. Even if this Mr. Xu becomes the forerunner for the king (*Wang Qian Qu*), I won't think Wenqing deliberately pitted him. Although I am not familiar with Mr. Xu, I have heard of seeking benevolence and getting benevolence. Since he wants to rise up, he naturally carries his head and charges forward. If he succeeds, he is a true hero. Those who only think about inciting others to die, or engage in conspiracies and tricks like assassination, deserve to die."

Regarding these words of Pu Guanshui, Chen Ke didn't know if they counted as Pu Guanshui's encouragement or something else. After all, this was calculating against people behind their backs, which also belonged to the category of conspiracies and tricks.

Pu Guanshui saw that Chen Ke still looked somewhat unbearable, so he couldn't help saying: "Wenqing, don't feel you let this Mr. Xu down. If you didn't tell me first now, just based on this Mr. Xu making trouble in the New Army, I would want to destroy him. Actually, what I dislike most are revolutionaries like Sun Wen. Wenqing, you have also been to Beijing; you should know how many people want revolution. But why are these people unwilling to associate with Sun Wen and the others? Because those bullshit words about democracy and republic are the same as not said. Many people are actually watching now, waiting to see who can shoulder the heavy responsibility. Those guys who only let others rebel die if they die. Wenqing, you are doing practical things, completely different from them. I won't feel Wenqing you have no morality."

Since Pu Guanshui said so, Chen Ke could only believe it. After lunch, Hua Xiongmao had basically selected the personnel to send out. Going home to have a look seemed like a very simple thing, but actually, it was as complex as large-scale combat. First, these eighty-two officers and soldiers were scattered in sixteen counties. How to send these soldiers and the accompanying Insurance Corps soldiers to the destination, how to contact each other. How to get news within the agreed time, how to pick up and drop off the families of these New Army officers and soldiers.

Ba Yougong felt his military ability was quite good, but actually, the first thing completely stumped Ba Yougong. There was no map of Anhui. The quality of Pu Guanshui's New Army map was very poor. The one providing the Anhui map was Chen Ke. He Ying hadn't done anything else these days; under Chen Ke's guidance, she traced a lot of the hiking map atlas Chen Ke brought from the 21st century using translucent paper. Especially the map of Anhui was basically finished tracing. These base maps were then made into relatively detailed maps by the Surveying Section of the Insurance Corps. As soon as such a detailed map was taken out, Ba Yougong was stunned. Compared to the map brought by Pu Guanshui, this map was more than a little bit precise. The New Army officers and soldiers faced the mountains, hills, and many place names on the map, and after comparing with memories, they could actually roughly find the specific location of their homes.

With specific locations, there were march routes, where to assemble, how to go home. How far the road was, roughly how much time was needed. Among the personnel brought by Pu Guanshui was the staff department he personally trained. Plus the Insurance Corps' staff department, the Insurance Corps' first modern combat in the true sense began.

Officers above company level of the 359th Brigade all came to attend the military meeting. These soldiers without modern military knowledge listened to the content Chen Ke narrated and felt a confusion. Every sentence Chen Ke said made sense, but every sentence made everyone feel incomprehensible. Why make things so complicated? This was the common confusion of the Insurance Corps officers.

"Brigade Commander, isn't it just going home? Everyone exert some effort, work harder. Is it worth such trouble?" Wu Xingwang asked. He was a local of Fengtai County. He had followed Yuwen Badu since the Shanghai era. Now he was the Company Commander of the 413th Company of the Second Regiment. Regarding various data calculations and route planning, Wu Xingwang completely couldn't understand the significance of this matter.

Chen Ke laughed: "I hope everyone can complete this matter within one month now. After one month, the transportation power of the Insurance Corps will shift to other work, and it is impossible to invest more power to do this."

"One month?" Wu Xingwang was stunned. More than a dozen areas, some areas were four or five hundred *li* away from Fengtai County. Completing a round trip within one month, and bringing back an unknown number of people when returning. The comrades immediately felt the complexity of the matter far exceeded the operation on paper. Not only Wu Xingwang, but other people's brows also frowned.

This was already a huge plan beyond the imagination of these comrades. Everyone knew that it was absolutely impossible for them to complete the planning work of such a scale alone. The comrades looked at Chen Ke with different eyes.

It wasn't that there were no people who could maintain a serious attitude consistently. Shang Yuan, He Zudao, Xiong Mingyang, Kuroshima Jin, Lu Huitian, and several other comrades were like this. While most comrades either felt the matter was simple or felt the matter was complex.

"Neither humble nor arrogant," "guard against arrogance and rashness," these words were admonitions against attitudes that could not face problems realistically (*Shi Shi Qiu Shi*). Grandpa Mao specially wrote various articles to narrate being able to "seek truth from facts." Chen Ke always felt he didn't understand it before. This time he suddenly had a realization why some comrades looked either arrogant or rash, while some comrades were completely different. In Chen Ke's view, those comrades whose emotions were unstable wanted to achieve a certain goal first. As long as this goal could be achieved, they would do anything.

But Chen Ke didn't get angry. Having such performance only explained one thing: these comrades lacked experience. Chen Ke also had such impetuous days back then. First advancing rashly, then hitting a wall lightly or bleeding heavily. Then he began to fear. Shrinking back when doing things. These were all human nature. Chen Ke didn't think there was a problem with such an attitude. If the comrades could have enough experience, they naturally wouldn't have such performance.

The attitude of the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers was very consistent; they all hoped to return home as soon as possible to settle family affairs. Everyone was anxious to return home like an arrow.

The Staff Department with Pu Guanshui and Chen Ke as the core began to operate. The Staff Department was first divided into three departments: Route Formulation Department, Distance Calculation Department, and Logistics Planning Department.

The Insurance Corps enforced education of knowledge. Those who could enter the Staff Department had to master culture, arithmetic, and basic military skills. Pu Guanshui's Staff Department focused more on professional training, and basic knowledge training was much worse. The Insurance Corps was much stronger.

First was looking at the map to determine the orientation. Then various data collected by the Insurance Corps in the past half year came in handy. It couldn't be said that drawing a straight line on the map was the route. Humans are not birds; saying flying a straight line can fly a straight line. Crossing mountains and rivers required detours. Besides the constraints of these natural environments, the constraints of human factors were equally important. Where there were checkpoints, there were difficulties. The data collected by the Insurance Corps, as well as the data provided by the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers, needed to be considered carefully and calculated into the plan.

Once a route was determined, dozens of abacuses crackled. How long the journey was, how fast each person moved, all these needed to be calculated.

Hua Xiongmao and Chai Qingguo contributed greatly to this military plan formulation. Both were people who had traveled extensively and had very practical experience and views on long-distance marching. Hua Xiongmao was relatively steady; he acted as the "Red Face." For those overly radical plans, such as those who thought they could walk more than a hundred *li* a day, Hua Xiongmao would look at the other party very seriously and raise doubts, "How can you walk a hundred *li* a day where there are no roads?"

Chai Qingguo ridiculed those conservative plans greatly, "Walking thirty *li* a day? You can crawl there too."

As Pu Guanshui's deputy, Ba Yougong also participated in the plan review. However, Ba Yougong spoke little. This artillery commander was not good at this kind of planning, and he held himself very high, so he was unwilling to make mistakes in public.

After spending two days summarizing everyone's route, they had to be grouped together for integrated planning. On sheets of scratch paper and blackboards, various one-variable, two-variable, and three-variable equations were listed. In the Staff Department, only Chen Ke and a few people understood higher mathematics, so everyone didn't do calculus for the time being. If a long list of equations including various professional symbols and a dozen important parameters were listed on the blackboard, it was estimated that most people in this Staff Department would go crazy.

Spending four days, a set of primary plans was calculated. Chen Ke felt this plan was outrageously rough. Many factors were not calculated. Even this rough plan made Chen Ke thoroughly understand the power of industrialized China in the 21st century. If the Chinese army in the 21st century planned, there were computers in software, highways, railways, and airplanes in hardware. There were satellites, wireless phones, and wired phones in communication. The plan could be formulated extremely detailed.

The current plan merely told everyone when to set off, when to merge, and to achieve this goal, how long to walk every day, and how much distance to cover. As for the specific situation along the way, these comrades had to rely on their own subjective initiative to overcome various difficulties and emergencies.

The Staff Department taught these plans to the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers on one hand, and on the other hand, prepared transport capacity and supplies and dry food along the way according to the plan. They also had to teach everyone some methods of filtering drinking water and provide portable drinking water equipment.

The Insurance Corps officers realized for the first time that fighting a battle was actually such a complex thing. And the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers originally thought the Insurance Corps was just a group of country bumpkins who needed them to teach military knowledge. After seeing the Insurance Corps' ability to formulate detailed plans, they looked at the Insurance Corps with new eyes, and were even somewhat convinced wholeheartedly.

Whether the Insurance Corps or the Anhui New Army, they admired Chen Ke and Pu Guanshui, who led everyone to formulate the plan, prostrate on the ground.

Before setting off, Chen Ke and Pu Guanshui repeatedly emphasized discipline, as well as the attitude of exerting subjective initiative, overcoming all difficulties, and completing the goal.

The newly formed temporary mixed unit had more than four hundred people. Everyone lined up neatly, listening to the departure mobilization. Pu Guanshui issued instructions with a serious expression. "There is no hurdle that cannot be crossed, but if you stop in front of this hurdle and don't move, you will never cross it."

Chen Ke was not as excited as Pu Guanshui. After all, these soldiers were going home to save their families. They would absolutely not shrink back before the battle. The problem now was whether the main transport troops could withstand the checkpoints and difficulties on various routes.

At this time, they heard Pu Guanshui say loudly: "I will personally lead everyone. I'll say this upfront now: along the way, whoever dares to block us, we will beat them to smithereens. Did you hear me!"

"Heard!" All officers and soldiers participating in this action shouted together.

Pu Guanshui's voice was loud originally; hearing everyone's reply, his tone became even higher, "In addition, I don't care how the New Army did it before. Now everyone is going to save people; these are all brothers. Have you learned the song *Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention*? After setting off this time, everyone sing it ten times first. This time we will do as sung in this song. Officers and soldiers as one, united from top to bottom. Settle everyone's relatives well and save them all."

During the operation of the Staff Department, everyone couldn't work without stopping. During breaks, Chen Ke taught military songs of the Insurance Corps like *Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention*, *Unity is Strength*, and *Little Poplar* to the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers. These classic songs of later generations, healthy, upward, and full of vitality, quickly captured the hearts of New Army officers and soldiers in 1906. Also captured Pu Guanshui's heart.

"Comrades staying in Fengtai County must obey Brigade Commander Chen's orders. Teach what should be taught properly to others. Learn what should be learned from others properly. Don't feel that they are local and we from the provincial capital are better than them. This time everyone has also seen that there are plenty of places where they are better than us. Teach well, learn well! Did you hear me?"

"Heard!" The New Army officers staying in Fengtai County also responded. This was their true attitude. The operation of the Staff Department this time indeed dispelled the arrogance of "I am number one in the world" of these New Army officers and soldiers.

"Go eat now; leave after eating. Dismiss!" Pu Guanshui shouted.

"Kill!" The Insurance Corps officers and soldiers shouted in unison. Only a small half of the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers remembered this rule during the training during the two days of rest. They also shouted in unison.

"Look, look! This is what you have to learn." Pu Guanshui said loudly. Many New Army officers and soldiers were red in the face. They heard Pu Guanshui shout again: "Once more. Dismiss!"

"Kill!" More than four hundred people shouted in unison. Then, everyone began to disperse to eat according to order.

Lunch was simple and eaten fast. Luggage was ready. Soldiers carried marching packs and lined up neatly. According to the plan, two hundred people set off in the first batch. Pu Guanshui watched the comrades line up in good order. Only then did he turn his head, "Wenqing, then I'll go first. I will handle the things outside well. I will grasp firmly to transport grain back."

Chen Ke nodded slightly, "Guanshui, you've worked hard."

"This time I originally wanted to come and help Wenqing, but instead let Wenqing help us a big favor. really ashamed."

"Haha, haven't even walked out of the barracks yet. What help? If you want to say such polite words, wait until the New Army comrades settle their families. I'm waiting for Guanshui you and the New Army comrades to finish work early and come back early."

"I will do my best." After speaking, Pu Guanshui saluted Chen Ke. Chen Ke returned the salute seriously. The two were not affectedly unconventional either. Pu Guanshui strode to the comrades of the first batch setting off and waved his arm. The team started immediately.

At the very front of the team was the Anhui New Army military flag displayed to deter checkpoints everywhere. Pu Guanshui led the team striding proudly. The troops had just walked a few steps when they heard a burst of singing coming from behind. This was a song they hadn't heard before. The Insurance Corps soldiers of the second batch setting off sang the sending-off song together. This was also a song Chen Ke taught the Insurance Corps—*Camel Bell* (*Tuo Ling*).

*Sending off comrades, embarking on the journey. Silently tearful, the sound of camel bells rings in the ears.*

*The road is long, the fog is vast. In the revolutionary career, parting is common; the same parting, two kinds of feelings.*

*Comrades, ah comrades, dear brothers, beware of the cold north wind at midnight, take care all the way.*

The melody was melodious, and the lyrics were sincere. Hearing this song, the Anhui New Army officers and soldiers knew this was the blessing from Insurance Corps soldiers to the departing Insurance Corps comrades-in-arms. But they equally hoped, or rather believed, that this was a blessing for themselves. The Anhui New Army officers and soldiers didn't even notice the word "revolution" in the song.