After the Insurance Corps Waterway Detachment began preparing for battle, the preparation speed of the field hospital was unexpectedly the fastest. This matter shocked Pu Guanshui greatly. Actually, this hospital was very simple. Just some simple stretchers, opium paste for pain relief. Probes to find the position of bullets, some knives to dig out bullets, and needles and threads for suturing wounds. As well as bandages for dressing. The soldier tags of Insurance Corps soldiers had blood types on them. Manual centrifuges for testing blood types, needles for drawing and transfusing blood, and hanging bottles for transfusing saline were originally packed in fixed boxes. Now taking them out and checking once was enough.

There were two platoons totaling 24 army doctors on the fleet this time. After checking the equipment against the regulations, the two platoons of transport teams and army doctor teams formed a field hospital. Everyone packed up their things, ready to set off at any time.

Chen Ke never thought forming an army hospital would dampen morale. On the contrary, Chen Ke believed that letting wounded soldiers howl on the battlefield would deal a heavy blow to morale. Only when soldiers knew they would definitely receive the most dedicated treatment would everyone fight with peace of mind.

Compared to the field hospital, although other departments were formed faster, the preparation work was far less rapid. Scouts were sent out wave after wave. Staff officers studied against the drawings. Marching and troop deployment. Arrangement of guns and ammunition. These were all the most basic things.

This time the fleet not only had scouts but also engineer troops. They even brought a certain amount of explosives. As the commander-in-chief, Zhang Yu saw these things on the list and became more convinced of the superior's intention. If there wasn't a plan to attack the fortified village long ago, bringing guns and ammunition would be enough; there was no need to carry dangerous stuff like explosives. However, there was no need to explain these internal affairs of the Insurance Corps so clearly to Pu Guanshui, an outsider.

Learning that the Insurance Corps Waterway Detachment had decided to send troops, Pu Guanshui felt very ashamed. But Pu Guanshui was not the kind of person who couldn't let go. He asked Zhang Yu straightforwardly, "Captain Zhang, do you have any tasks for me to do?"

Zhang Yu actually wanted to see how capable Pu Guanshui, the Commander of the Anhui New Army, really was. If possible, Zhang Yu hoped this New Army Commander could lead the New Army to charge and shatter enemy lines. But now the wish was dashed, and Zhang Yu didn't want to create extra complications. "Commander Pu, you don't need to go to battle this time. But next time, I wonder if I can trouble Commander Pu to negotiate with the fortified village first. If we can avoid fighting, I think it's better not to fight for the time being. Even if we ask for half a month's grain first to let the common people survive these days. Our Insurance Corps can also transfer troops and supplies calmly. Otherwise, these guns and ammunition can't be replenished."

"This, I will think of a way." Pu Guanshui felt Zhang Yu's idea was very correct, although a considerable part of the Insurance Corps' arms was provided by Pu Guanshui now. But Pu Guanshui no longer regarded himself as New Army.

Zhang Yu continued: "The key is ammunition. Even ammunition is not a problem; the key is reloaded bullets."

This was actually not Zhang Yu's insight. At the military meeting, Chen Ke had talked about this matter to senior officers. In the future, the Insurance Corps would enter large-scale operations. In this era, the Insurance Corps must have a modern army. After hearing enough of the comrades' various strange requests, Chen Ke smiled and explained his plan. The Insurance Corps must build an arsenal capable of self-repairing various captured guns and producing reloaded bullets. "Reloaded bullets" mainly need primers, gunpowder, and warheads. Cartridge cases can use old ones. And there are also captured enemy bullet cases to supplement.

Hearing Zhang Yu's words, Pu Guanshui frowned slightly. He didn't expect this Detachment Commander of the Insurance Corps Waterway Detachment to have such insight. Zhang Yu didn't explain more. The scout team sent out earliest had already determined the marching route five *li* ahead. After reading the roughly drawn route map, Zhang Yu stood up, "Commander Pu, we are about to set off. Troublesome you to watch the New Army brothers well, and guard the boats together with our stay-behind personnel. Okay?"

Although knowing Zhang Yu's request was very reasonable, he wanted to save the lives of the common people so much, yet couldn't go to the battlefield now. Pu Guanshui only felt a burst of guilt. "Will definitely not disgrace the mission." Pu Guanshui answered seriously.

Amidst a burst of loud bugle calls, the main force of the Insurance Corps lined up according to configuration. Some soldiers knew there would be a battle but didn't know who the enemy was exactly. Zhang Yu didn't say much either, "Set off." He shouted. The crimson hammer and sickle Party flag was raised high and waved by the flag bearer. Then Political Commissar Li Zhao led the singing of the military song,

"Forward, forward, forward! Our team faces the sun,

Treading on the motherland's earth,

Carrying the nation's hope,

We are an invincible force.

We are the sons and brothers of the people,

We are the armed force of the people,

Never fearing,

Never yielding,

Fighting bravely,

Until the reactionaries are wiped out clean,

The banner of China flies high.

Listen!

The wind is howling, the bugle is sounding,

Listen!

How loud is the revolutionary song!

Comrades stride neatly towards the battlefield of liberation,

Comrades stride neatly towards the frontier of the motherland,

Forward,

Forward!

Our team faces the sun,

Towards the final victory,

Towards the liberation of the whole country!"

Although they didn't know where their goal was, nor who their enemy was. Most soldiers didn't even know what revolution meant, let alone having the concept and ambition of liberating the whole of China. But when the military song was sung, this music completely different from the local Fengyang Flower Drum of Anhui also had a completely different feeling. Everyone knew there would be a battle, knew they would encounter enemies ahead. There was fear in their chests, but this fear didn't make a single person slow down their pace. Nor did anyone have the thought of fleeing before the battle. Because for a long time, they had been accustomed to advancing side by side with comrades, facing various difficulties and hardships side by side. The soldiers of the Insurance Corps sang the military song belonging only to their own troops with the Political Commissar, and the long column started marching almost simultaneously.

Almost at the same time, in front of the Liujiapu fortified village more than twenty *li* away, the refugees also began to act. Among the nearly a thousand refugees, there was no crying or shouting, no begging. In the few months of the disaster, they had exhausted all begging and crying. But the gate of this fortified village had been motionless like cast iron for months. Relatives who couldn't withstand hunger and disease had already passed away. Even if there were dying ones, it was just the difference between dying today and dying tomorrow. Everyone's only way out lay in whether they could break the fortified village. Looking at the high wall of several *zhang*, no one spoke, no one cried anymore. Anyway, it was death; either being beaten to death or fighting to death. As long as they could rush into the fortified village and get grain, those dying family members and themselves could survive.

The people above the fortified village had noticed these people long ago. The iron bell on the high watchtower and the iron bell inside the fortified village rang for a long time. The wall of the fortified village was black with people. Bird guns (*Niao Chong* - muskets) and other firearms, black muzzles pointed outside. Spearheads of long spears and broadswords flashed with metallic light. There must be at least more than a hundred people waiting in full battle array. Compared with these common people's weapons which could only be called crude, they could be said to be fully armed.

Master Liu Ba (*Liu Ba Ye*) was the owner of the fortified village. He was only in his early forties this year, a very strong and powerful man. Actually, when the flood started this year, no one expected it would evolve into the current appearance. Late spring and early summer, exactly when crops were growing madly, rain falling from the sky was a good thing. But no one expected this rain to last for more than 60 days. Watching the ground turn into ponds, ponds turn into lakes, lakes turn into a boundless sea.

Like other fortified villages, Master Liu Ba strictly ordered not to open the gate of the fortified village. All women and men lived separately. Rectifying the order inside the fortified village, outsiders were resolutely not allowed to enter. Master Liu Ba was also considered a very prestigious person in this Liujiapu. Like others who could build fortified villages, his ancestors also started from the Huai Army, fighting for wealth and honor amidst knives and guns. Relying on property robbed from everywhere, the family bought several thousand *mu* of land. Becoming a local big landlord. Inside this fortified village were all Liu family's relatives, divided by distance, living from inside to outside. Those who could live on the edge of the fortified village had to be relatives within four degrees. As the owner of the fortified village, Master Liu Ba firmly believed he had to plan for these relatives.

At least half of these family guards were Liu family clansmen. More men held long spears and pitchforks under the wall. Master Liu Ba climbed up the watchtower with his brother carrying a pistol. The condescending perspective was very good. The refugees were still outside the shooting range of muskets. Master Liu Ba saw the refugees didn't have any firearms, so he put the gun back into the holster and took out a single-tube "Thousand Li Eye" (telescope) from his bosom. This was a treasure passed down from Master Liu Ba's ancestors. Good stuff that only officers could use from the Huai Army era. Pulling open the "Thousand Li Eye" and placing it in front of his right eye, the situation of the refugees was seen clearly in an instant.

The guys held by those ragged refugees were really pitiful; besides farm tools, they were tree poles. Those few ladders were useless. The height was still quite short of the wall top. Master Liu Ba looked back under the wall. The boiling water in the big pot emitted white steam. Just pouring a few buckets on this group of poor bastards (*qiong bang zi*) would be enough to blister those bastards attacking his fortified village all over.

As the owner of the fortified village, Master Liu Ba did things very meticulously. He knew the height, advantages, and disadvantages of the fortified village like the back of his hand. Continuing to observe the number and arms of the refugees for a while, Master Liu Ba relaxed. With just these few hundred people wanting to break his fortified village, don't even think about it. But the only troublesome thing was how to deal with it after the battle. Those killed people piled outside the wall definitely wouldn't do. He still had to send people out to bury them. Thinking of this, a grudge arose in Master Liu Ba's heart. Couldn't these people die honestly at home? Must die outside his fortified village. After killing them, he still had to find monks and Taoist priests to perform rituals, which was spending a sum of money for nothing again.

But on second thought, Master Liu Ba saw there were some women among the refugees outside. This was also quite good. If capturing women and selling them to Shanghai, maybe he could earn a little. But this thought only flashed for a moment; cautious attitude immediately gained the upper hand. Master Liu Ba shouted loudly: "Beating back the bandits, everyone gets a reward of one hundred *wen* cash. After killing all these bandits later, we have to go out and clean up. I'll say this upfront now: I want dead ones, not live ones! Everyone can use their heads to claim rewards. One head, half a tael of silver. Two heads, one tael of silver. Whoever can chop off ten heads, I'll give him seven taels. Chop off twenty heads, I'll give him fifteen taels!"

Master Liu Ba's voice was loud and resonant; such a reward offer could be heard far away. A sound of "Oh!" immediately came from around! Such an incentive policy worked immediately. Even the eyes of the originally very nervous family guards flashed with excitement. In these years, one tael of silver was not a small amount. Let alone fifteen taels. Family guards who were originally unwilling to kill people felt they should at least chop off a head to claim some reward. As for those pugnacious people, they grinned even more. They made up their minds to do a big job and earn a lot of reward money. The morale inside the fortified village rose instantly.

Seeing everyone looking left and right excitedly and whispering to each other, Master Liu Ba came down from the watchtower with satisfaction and let his brother take over the actual command work. Either don't do things, or do them thoroughly. This was the family instruction passed down from ancestors who were Huai Army officers. The Huai Army eliminated the Taiping Army and the Nian Army running rampant for a time just like this. There was no need to be polite to those bandits. Even if these bandits were starving refugees about to die, Master Liu Ba still thought so. If there was anything to blame, go blame God. This sixty-day heavy rain was not requested by Master Liu Ba. During the flood, in order to stop the rain, Master Liu Ba also performed rituals. It's just that God didn't open his eyes; who had a way? Master Liu Ba even felt that the rain stopping had something to do with the rituals he spent money on.

Lending grain to these poor ghosts, could they afford to pay back? Since they couldn't afford to pay back, don't borrow; just starve to death yourself. Master Liu Ba's grain didn't come from the wind either. It was also obtained by sweat beads falling into eight pieces. Just looking at Master Liu Ba's glory now, but who still remembers that when the Liu family followed Lord Li Hongzhang to send troops back then, fifteen people left, and only one of Master Liu Ba's ancestors came back alive. This was property exchanged with life; why should it be enjoyed by these poor bastards outside the fortified village? Where is the reason for this?

Go find the Magistrate for natural disasters; what's the use of finding Master Liu Ba?

Sitting back on the chair near the gate of the fortified village, Master Liu Ba waited quietly for the battle to begin.

Zhou Xingrui looked at the high fortified village. He suddenly felt he had never felt before that this fortified village could be high to this degree. Need to tilt the head so high. A battle was about to start immediately. Zhou Xingrui then began to think nervously: am I ready? Climbing ladders, ladders are there. Ramming the door, the battering ram wasn't prepared too well. Everyone has no strength; how much strength is needed for this? Things that should have been planned long ago seemed not ready somehow. These fellow villagers hadn't practiced either; they just listened to some of his suggestions and saw he had a pistol. That's why they followed him.

He suddenly felt driving Zhou Yisheng away just now was wrong. At any rate, Zhou Yisheng was a soldier and knew more about fighting than he did. It would have been good if Zhou Yisheng could give him some ideas just now. But now it's too late to think anything. Besides charging, there is no other way.

"Niu Er, Er Gou, prepare to charge." Zhou Xingrui issued the order. These two people, one was Zhou Xingrui's nephew, one was his sister's son. The two children were responsible for commanding people to ram the door. Hearing the order, the two youths greeted other youths, "Everyone listen, ram the door open, go in and grab grain. Let our brothers pick first. If brothers die, let everyone's parents and siblings pick first. At this time, there is nothing to fear. Everyone charge."

Those responsible for ramming the door were all relatively sturdy young men. Hearing this, everyone didn't cheer either, just silently picked up their things.

Those were several tables tied together. Farm tables were clumsy. Only then could they last long. Among them, two tables, although old, looked quite good; even the lacquer on them could show some clues. Those were tables from the Zhou Yisheng and Zhou Yizheng brothers' home. Hemp ropes tied the tables to several long poles. Some once-tattered cotton quilts were spread on top. These cotton quilts didn't have much cotton left either; the cotton that could be eaten had long been eaten up. Just such a pile of tattered, fluffy stuff that one could hardly distinguish what it originally was.

A dozen young men lifted this thing used to prevent bullets. Seven or eight young men lifted the battering ram and rushed towards the gate of the fortified village.

Now responsible for guarding the wall of the fortified village was Master Liu Ba's brother, Liu Wentao. Actually, Master Liu Ba was only ranked eighth in his generation, not eighth among his brothers. His original name was Liu Wenxiu. Liu Wentao was Master Liu Ba's second brother. Always his brother's right-hand man. Looking at this "siege" guy, Liu Wentao almost laughed out loud. Wasn't this the stuff used by the Taiping Army back then that ancestors talked about? Such stuff dared to be used to attack his own fortified village. Did these people not know the Liu family started by eliminating the Taiping Army back then?

"Bring the oil jar." Liu Wentao laughed. The family guard had already brought the oil jar very quickly. "Let this big turtle reach the door; everyone don't fire yet."

The order was executed very well. Viewed from above, the team looking like a huge turtle with a strange shape rushed to the door very quickly. A smart one among the family guards had already brought a torch over. Liu Wentao glanced at this smart ghost; it was a guy named Jin Zaisheng. A *thump* sound came from the gate. The vibration generated by the collision between the battering ram and the gate transmitted to the soles of Liu Wentao's feet along the wall.

"Tch, starved like this, and dare to be bandits?" Liu Wentao sneered. He threw the oil jar towards that bulletproof door panel. With a bang, the oil jar smashed to pieces on the door panel. Oil quickly spread in that pile of tattered stuff. Liu Wentao aimed and threw the torch down. Rolling in the air, the torch drew an arc and landed exactly on the oil. Flames burned up instantly.

Lu Zhengping was flying on the sandy ground. Following behind him were five soldiers. Everyone would pause after running for a while; they had to change the person carrying Zhou Yizheng on the back. Since the Insurance Corps had decided to attack the fortified village, the first thing was to prevent the common people from dying for nothing. The work of stopping the common people was handed over to Lu Zhengping. They brought Zhou Yizheng along. After all, stopping as an outsider probably had basically no effect. Bringing Zhou Yizheng, a local, would be persuasive.

No one spoke. Everyone ran panting. If not for the military training of the Insurance Corps, everyone would probably be unable to go on at this time. But no one said anything. Everyone was doing their best. As long as they could arrive a quarter of an hour earlier, they could save many common people. The soldiers of the Insurance Corps also exerted all their strength.