The "Battle of Liujiapu," as a classic combat case in the early days of the Insurance Corps, was very representative. On one side of the battle was a new-style people's army with complete organization and effective training. On the other side was the backbone force of the completely old era. The Insurance Corps understood the old-style force very thoroughly, but the old-style force knew nothing about the Insurance Corps. In the early days of the Liberation War led by the People's Party, battles with all parties were invariably like this.

The Army School, which was declared established shortly after the Battle of Liujiapu, didn't have so many actual combat cases, so the Battle of Liujiapu became a classic course.

Of course, the lecture couldn't say who fired how many shots and who killed how many enemies. The course must start from the perspective of combining theory with practice. This Battle of Liujiapu basically implemented Chen Ke's military regulations.

"Whether attacking or defending, automatic weapons should be configured as far forward as possible."

"Whoever opens fire first and can conduct the most violent concentrated fire shooting will win."

The assault team led by Pu Guanshui adopted Hanyang Type 88s entirely. This rifle used metal cartridge cases and a five-round magazine design. The rate of fire was simply not comparable by the enemy's muskets or the very few single-shot fire guns. Violent firepower disintegrated the enemy's attempt to use musket volleys instantly.

Every time this point was mentioned, instructors would emphasize one thing: if both sides formed a situation of shooting at each other, even if the enemy's muskets had short range and slow rate of fire, as long as the situation of shooting at each other formed, the Insurance Corps rifle troops would absolutely not be without casualties. Once casualties occurred, "fire support" would be greatly discounted.

From this perspective, Pu Guanshui and the others didn't hide in the south of the city relying on the long range advantage of rifles to confront the enemy, but rushed near the enemy, fully utilizing the high rate of fire advantage of Hanyang Type 88s, disrupting the enemy's deployment in one fell swoop. This practice was the key to ensuring complete victory in the first stage.

The "Battle of Liujiapu" was not only one of the cases in the Military School but also an important case in the curriculum of the Cadre School. Most battles do not depend on simple weapon generation gap issues. In the Battle of Liujiapu, what defeated the enemy first was not a comprehensive failure in weapons; what defeated them first was precisely their own confidence.

Pu Guanshui and the others rushed to a position equivalent to the center of the enemy's position, and then ignored the enemies on the east and west walls shooting at them continuously, concentrating firepower to strike the enemies on the north wall continuously. This courage was the key to the victory of this battle. If the troops hid immediately when the enemy shot at them from both sides, although this battle would still be won, the price would be much, much higher.

"No matter how small the weapon caliber is, and no matter how small the weapon quantity is, always use firepower to support infantry attacks."

Instructors of the Military School emphasized this passage repeatedly. In the Battle of Liujiapu, less than ten minutes after the assault team led by Pu Guanshui attacked into the fortified village, the stubborn resistance on the north wall, which concentrated the enemy's most elite forces, was basically on the verge of collapse. Family guards either ran around under gunfire or simply lay on the wall daring not move. On the surface, the situation was very good, but in fact, the battle situation had entered a dangerous period. The bullets of the rifle team led by Pu Guanshui were running out. As long as the firepower shooting stalled, the enemy would counterattack immediately.

The assault team led by Pu Guanshui won great time and space for the soldiers behind. Before the rifle team's violent shooting stalled, the large force for hand-to-hand combat had already rushed up.

Not everyone in the Insurance Corps owned a rifle, and even muskets were not popularized. More than half of the soldiers in the troops were still using red-tasseled spears. However, in 1906, hand-to-hand combat was far from withdrawing from the stage of war. Even in the First World War that occurred in the "future" 1914, hand-to-hand combat on the European battlefield was also one of the most common battles. The Germans in trench warfare found that the engineer shovel was a sharp weapon for hand-to-hand combat. In this Battle of Liujiapu, Insurance Corps infantry didn't have engineer shovels, only red-tasseled spears.

The Liujiapu fortified village had two stairs leading directly to the wall top, brick and stone structures. The soldiers responsible for hand-to-hand combat rushed to the stairs without enemy fire blockade. They knew very clearly before the battle that only by running fast and rushing in front of the enemy fastest could they exert the combat power of red-tasseled spears.

In the training targeting Liujiapu in the first few days, long spearmen had selected multiple routes for hard practice. Pu Guanshui's assault team progressed excellently. Led by officers, the infantry chose the closest and straightest route to insert directly into the stair orientation. The troop configuration was eight long spearmen and two musketeers in a squad. The squad leader commanded with a long spear, and the deputy squad leader was also a grenadier.

Arriving at the stair entrance, Pu Guanshui had already asked riflemen to stop shooting and load bullets. Calm was restored briefly inside the fortified village.

"Throw!" The commander of the infantry hand-to-hand combat troop asked the deputy squad leader to throw two black powder ceramic grenades up. With a boom, smoke and dust swirled at the stair entrance of the wall. Family guards trying to defend the stairs let out screams and cries of alarm. Before they woke up from the shock, musket soldiers in front, long spearmen behind, the hand-to-hand combat troop rushed up the wall.

Although just climbing a few meters high, the soldiers rushing up the wall immediately felt the field of vision opened up a lot. Rushing into a completely strange environment from the wall hole blown by explosives was a psychological test for anyone. Enemies were all over the high wall, being in enemy territory. Until occupying a small piece of the wall, don't look down on just a small piece, the psychological change was already very different. Originally the enemies were high above; now everyone had become the same height.

Musket soldiers fired at the enemies in front, then flashed to the wall side according to training, leaning against the wall with guns raised. The long spearmen behind shouted and rushed up.

By this time, the family guards knew it had reached the final juncture. Blue-clad people rushed into the fortified village continuously, occupying several key points in a blink of an eye. Blue-clad people holding muskets stood still around those who rushed in first, or divided into small teams, blocking the intersections and doorways of various key points inside the fortified village.

Where had the common people inside the fortified village seen such a posture? They ran around in fright. Although the family guards below wanted to save their families, obviously their number was not as many as the blue-clad people. They stood in front of their families holding either muskets or swords and spears. Although bluffing and raising weapons, it was obvious they dared not attack the blue-clad people at all. The blue-clad people inside the fortified village also had no intention of attacking. They just forced the people inside the fortified village not to run around by numerical superiority. But they didn't arrest people, nor did they kill people.

But this was only for those enemies without resistance ability. Family guards conducted desperate resistance against the rushing long spearmen with swords and spears. Barely holding the east and west walls. But not long after, Pu Guanshui's assault team had reloaded bullets. Under Pu Guanshui's command, a new round of volley began. This time not pursuing speed and firepower, but the troops striking enemies who dared to resist stubbornly. Those family guards resisting with swords and spears were trying hard to fight desperately with enemies in front. But suddenly were knocked down by bullets coming from the side. Or put some attention on the side, but were stabbed down by enemies swarming up from the front with random spears.

Organized resistance finally disintegrated under such multiple blows. The Insurance Corps advanced one foot, and the enemy retreated two feet. But the wall was only so long. Not long after, the enemies on the wall squeezed into a pile. Unknown when, Pu Guanshui had stopped shooting. And the Insurance Corps saw the time was about right; officers and soldiers didn't attack fiercely anymore when victory was at hand, but chose to pause. Both sides deadlocked face to face like this.

Although family guards knew defeat and death were inevitable, no one knew how these blue-clad people would treat them exactly. They nervously watched blue-clad people occupy all key places. Actually, it was only about ten minutes from the attack to now. The Insurance Corps' thunderous blow completely stunned the Liujiapu family guards. Only final pressure was needed to make them give up resistance completely.

Just then, Waterway Detachment Political Commissar Li Zhao walked out. He shouted to the family guards surrounded on the wall: "Brothers of Liujiapu, fighting until now, you have already done right by Master Liu Ba Liu Wenxiu. Everyone surrender. As long as you lay down weapons, our Insurance Corps treats captives well."

Whether the Military School or the Cadre School, when mentioning the battle process up to this surrender persuasion stage, they all used quite positive comments. Although the battle was very fierce, it was still a battle.

When the family guards were ready to give up, a burst of killing shouts suddenly sounded outside the north wall. Both the Insurance Corps and the family guards were actually quite familiar with this killing shout; it was the voice of refugees near Liujiapu. The task the Insurance Corps gave them was to attract the attention of the fortified village in the north. Completely no intention of letting them fight. Of course, the refugees didn't have the idea of joining the battle either. They just pretended with siege ladders outside the north wall.

The Insurance Corps captured the wall swiftly; the refugees saw it clearly. Everyone was frightened by the tough combat power of the Insurance Corps. They never expected that from the explosion of explosives, in just ten minutes or so, the Insurance Corps captured the north wall top. Just then, everyone heard Zhou Xingrui shout, "Fellow villagers, it's our turn to risk our lives!"

Everyone looked at Zhou Xingrui strangely. The Insurance Corps was already on the wall; what lives were they risking?

Zhou Xingrui's next words completely "reminded" everyone, "We didn't contribute any effort; why do you say people should give us more grain?"

Right! The common people felt Zhou Xingrui hit the point. They did nothing, just shouted outside for a night. If it were normal days, being dismissed with a *dou* of rice, everyone would still be quite happy. Even in a disaster year, giving a month's grain would be the max. This fortified village was conquered by the Insurance Corps. If they didn't contribute real effort, why should the Insurance Corps give them things?

Thinking of this, a monstrous sense of urgency arose in the refugees' hearts. They swarmed towards the gate. Don't know who led the way, the killing sound in the refugee team shook the sky immediately. This indeed had to blame the Insurance Corps for being "prepared enough." As troops to confuse the enemy, if the equipment seen by the enemy was not enough, this decoying work was obviously unqualified. So the siege equipment in the refugees' hands was really sufficient.

If there were still family guards guarding the wall, this charge would be beaten down immediately. But now the family guards couldn't even take care of themselves; where was anyone to resist? Everyone rushed under the wall, put up ladders following the momentum, and then inexplicably someone climbed up the ladder. Without anyone stopping them, the refugees successfully "scaled the city."

These people still had guys in their hands. The first refugee climbing up held a wooden spear. Jumping onto the wall, he saw a family guard lying on the ground beside him with an injured leg. The refugee raised the wooden spear high without saying a word, and stabbed into the injured family guard's lower abdomen with one blow. The family guard's scream traveled far. Family guards on the wall and under the wall and residents inside the fortified village were originally stunned by the Insurance Corps' lightning-fast attack. When gunshots were loud, someone screaming didn't attract much attention. Now the gunshots stopped, suddenly hearing a scream, everyone looked over. They saw on the wall, a refugee pulled out a bloody wooden spear from a family guard lying on the ground. Then raised the wooden spear high with both hands and stabbed down forcefully.

Behind this refugee, other refugees were climbing up one after another along seven or eight ladders. They went up the wall, also without saying a word, laying murderous hands on the family guards who fell on the ground but didn't die on the wall.

Seeing this situation, those inside the fortified village dared not move anymore. Family guards and common people who decided to surrender were dumbfounded by reality. Then someone shouted loudly, "They want to kill us all. Everyone fight them desperately!"

These words were not even instigation anymore. The refugees' actions gave the common people the impression that they wanted to kill all the common people inside the fortified village. Moreover, one had to admit, if letting refugees do it freely, they would really do so.

Surrendering after defeat was okay, but if still killed after surrendering, no one could accept this. The common people who had lost their fighting will suddenly began to resist. Someone charged towards the Insurance Corps regardless of life and death. Someone was scared out of their wits and began to flee everywhere.

And the surrounded family guards also began to counterattack violently. Li Zhao didn't want to mess up the situation that was already controlled. So he just let long spearmen force back family guards attempting to resist. But some of these family guards had muskets. They thought the Insurance Corps and refugees wanted to slaughter the fortified village. Resisting means death, not resisting means death. Regardless of anything, these people loaded muskets with gunpowder and iron sand.

No matter how Li Zhao asked them to stop, they didn't listen. Moreover, to these family guards, the reason Li Zhao was so anxious was not wanting to avoid bloodshed conflict. But wanting to trick them not to resist.

Pu Guanshui watched this sudden change dumbfounded. The Insurance Corps conducted a lot of military combat training, but they hadn't received training for "maintenance warfare." The Insurance Corps could defeat organized enemies, but how to control common people running around everywhere, the Insurance Corps was completely unclear. A good military battle at first turned into a "public security battle" instantly after the refugee factor joined. The situation that was somewhat controlled became chaotic instantly, and the chaos was still expanding constantly.

With a "Bang," someone fired a musket. That was a family guard on the wall suddenly firing a shot. Pu Guanshui knew things couldn't end so easily. The battle originally thought to end refreshingly suddenly became cruel and bloody. He sighed in his heart but commanded the musket team to start firing violently at those enemies resisting stubbornly. Now more brutal means must be used to suppress the scene. Actually, the object Pu Guanshui wanted to shoot most now was not these family guards, but those refugees who appeared suddenly.

"Thus the battle turned into a farce!" Both Military School and Cadre School defined the performance of this stage like this.

Because scaling the city was too easy, refugees climbed up one after another like possessed, and then easily climbed onto the fortified village wall that was once unattainable. Looking at the neat fortified village houses, looking at the Insurance Corps blue-clad soldiers having the upper hand everywhere. Holding the thought of must "help," refugees killed enemies they could see around first, then shouted killing and charged towards "enemies inside the fortified village." Refugees really treated everyone inside the fortified village as their enemies.

Waterway Detachment Political Commissar Li Zhao reacted relatively fast after all. Seeing things were wrong, he immediately asked people to block the stairs going down the wall. But he only had time to block the side where he was. Soldiers on the other side didn't figure out what was going on. A dozen people had already rushed down the stairs. Li Zhao hurriedly asked signalmen to send semaphore. Only then did the troops opposite understand and hurriedly blocked the stairs. In such a moment, another dozen people rushed into the fortified village.

Refugees rushing into the pile of common people wouldn't mistake the enemy. The Insurance Corps uniformly wore blue clothes and very special blue soft hats. Refugees themselves wore ragged clothes. So anyone wearing better clothes was an enemy. Chaos continued to expand. Villagers fled in all directions, while Insurance Corps soldiers desperately held back refugees. But refugees had absolutely no discipline to speak of at this time. Finally entering the fortified village, someone thought of food. Although the Insurance Corps also provided food and drink these days, it was far from satisfying the refugees. Entering the fortified village, originally wanted to help the Insurance Corps kill people. But unknown who shouted, "Fellow villagers, go find food." "Go find food!" "Go find food!" Immediately someone began to follow and cheer.

Refugees originally blocked on the wall heard "food" and couldn't hold back anymore. Unable to take the stairs, refugees jumped down from the wall several meters high one after another. As long as they didn't fall to death upon landing, refugees got up one after another and walked towards various houses. Seeing someone wanting to enter their own houses, the villagers' last bit of timidity also disappeared. They immediately picked up everything they could pick up to resist.

Thus thorough chaos finally descended.

When Military School and Cadre School mentioned this matter, the summarized experience was nothing more than two points. First, if not consciously creating this chaos, absolutely don't take refugees onto the battlefield, and let them move freely. Second, if a public security battle occurs, then regardless of who the other party is, restoring order is the first choice.

Every time the second point is mentioned, the Military School would praise Zhang Yu and Pu Guanshui for acting decisively, and the Cadre School would praise Commissar Li Zhao for deciding firmly.

Actually, these three people issued orders almost simultaneously. There was such a clause in the regulations provided by Chen Ke, "If encountering a situation requiring large-scale emergency suppression, don't use ropes to bind. Let the people needing to be suppressed lie on the ground holding their heads with hands. Leave a few people responsible for guarding. The main force just needs to knock down the suppression targets to the ground."

The fortified village was filled with screams, wild laughter, angry curses, crying, and wailing. Amidst various human voices, gunshots were mixed from time to time. Just less than ten minutes of chaos and slaughter, hundreds of people on both refugee and villager sides were injured, and a dozen people on each side were hopeless. Three commanders commanded Insurance Corps soldiers. Regardless of anything, let refugees lie down holding their heads first. Those who didn't listen were beaten down directly. Then forced villagers to lie down.

Spending the strength of nine bulls and two tigers, order was finally restored. Without the blind interference of refugees, this stage could have ended early, and many people wouldn't have died originally.

What made villagers feel slightly surprised was that in the great chaos, the Insurance Corps didn't take care of refugees too much. Not only that, some refugees acting very outrageously were tied up.

In such chaos, it wasn't that there was no place maintaining "order" inside the fortified village all along. Zhang Yu personally led troops to surround Master Liu Ba's residence tightly. Dozens of people up and down the Liu family guarded the courtyard gate tightly. Zhang Yu didn't plan to attack hard either. As long as he could block the Liu family and prevent these backbones inside the fortified village from rushing out to add trouble, leaving only the Liu family would be easy to handle.

When refugees caused big trouble, Zhang Yu still felt slightly worried, but the Liu family obviously didn't seize this opportunity. Wait until chaos was completely suppressed. The Liu family knew there was no hope just by listening to the voice. At this time, they had some intention of burning boats. Zhang Yu said nothing and ordered grenadiers to throw the hand grenades, which were scarce in the Insurance Corps, inside. Two loud bangs passed. The Liu family was completely honest.

They heard someone shouting in the yard: "Heroes outside, I am Liu Wenxiu."

"So it's Master Liu Ba. Does Master Liu Ba have any instructions?" Zhang Yu laughed. Controlling the situation completely at this time, his mood was relaxed. Even had room for jokes.

Master Liu Ba, Liu Wenxiu, didn't expect the other party to answer like this, and didn't know how to respond for a moment. Such relaxation proved that the other party completely mastered the situation; I'm afraid some conditions he wanted to say wouldn't be useful either. Then someone climbed up the watchtower of the Liu family courtyard, looking around furtively for a good while. He saw the wall was full of Insurance Corps blue-clad people. There were gunmen on all commanding heights. Looking for a while, really couldn't find a way to escape, that person simply stood on the watchtower shouting down: "Heroes outside, I am Liu Wenxiu, I admit defeat. Just please spare the lives of old and young in the fortified village; you can do whatever you want to me, Liu Wenxiu."

Zhang Yu walked a few steps forward, coming out of the crowd. "Master Liu Ba, I am Insurance Corps Commander Zhang Yu. I advise you to surrender now. Our Insurance Corps treats captives well. We will absolutely not kill captives."

Liu Wenxiu looked at Zhang Yu for a while, suddenly laughed loudly: "This Brother Zhang, aren't you underestimating me, Liu Wenxiu, too much? I'm not a three-year-old child; can you deceive me?"

Zhang Yu also pretended to laugh loudly, "Master Liu Ba, wanting to destroy your family, whether attacking hard or setting fire, do you think we can't do it? We don't do this because we really don't want to kill so many people. Heaven has the virtue of loving life; we don't want to kill people. Otherwise, if we transfer the refugees over, can they spare you? So, Master Liu Ba, surrender quickly. Being able to live in this fortified village, you are a character at any rate. If you want to be a turtle shrinking its head to avoid this matter, it definitely won't work."

Hearing Zhang Yu say this, Liu Wenxiu knew polite talk was useless. He no longer pretended any hypocritical appearance, "Gentlemen, why do you attack my fortified village? Please speak clearly, so I, Liu Wenxiu, can die understanding."

Zhang Yu shouted: "Master Liu Ba, can't you guess it yourself? Guess."

Seeing Zhang Yu teasing him like this, Liu Wenxiu was really burning with anger. He roared: "Could it be that you want to rebel?"

"Exactly so, we are going to rebel." Zhang Yu shouted.

Liu Wenxiu was originally just speaking angrily, but seeing Zhang Yu admit it so easily. He felt very incredible instead. But he heard Zhang Yu continue to shout: "To rebel, one needs people, land, grain, and guns. Our purpose of rebellion is to save the common people of this world. That's why we want to attack your fortified village. We will attack one fortified village after another like this, save one place of common people after another. Fight until the Manchu Qing is defeated, saving the common people of the world."

"You! You!" Liu Wenxiu was so angry at Zhang Yu's words that smoke came out of his seven orifices. He wanted to curse loudly but didn't know what to curse.

Zhang Yu continued to persuade: "Master Liu Ba, the reason I keep you until now is very simple. I want to send your whole family to our base camp. See how our leader prepares to deal with you. As the saying goes, buying horse bones with a thousand gold (*Qian Jin Ma Gu* - showing sincerity to attract talent). You, Master Liu Ba, are also considered a character; maybe useful. So surrender now. If you don't surrender, I can only attack your courtyard with fire. At that time, life or death won't matter."

While speaking, soldiers suddenly brought a few dirty and wet people over. Zhang Yu asked soldiers to take these few people to a place Liu Wenxiu could see. Then he shouted: "Master Liu Ba, you let people go through the tunnel. I think it's inappropriate. So I invited them over. Do you want to come down and say something to them?"

Seeing his sons captured, Liu Wenxiu only felt his head buzz, almost falling from the watchtower. Courtyard surrounded, sons captured. He heard Zhang Yu laugh: "Master Liu Ba, we say treat captives well, then we will treat captives well. We will absolutely not kill your sons. But I give you two hours. If you don't surrender. We will attack your courtyard. Anyway, your sons are in our hands; not killing them already leaves you descendants. For the people in your courtyard, as long as they resist, we will kill without mercy (*ge sha wu lun*). Think about it properly, Master Liu Ba."

Everyone bargained like this, spending an hour. Under the pressure of the Insurance Corps' powerful armed forces, Liu Wenxiu finally surrendered.

"Send a boat back to deliver the message. Take Liu Wenxiu's whole family along too." Zhang Yu immediately issued the first order after the war.

Chen Ke got the news four days later. He ordered Liu Wenxiu's family to be escorted to Yuezhangji prison for detention, and immediately convened a Party Committee meeting. After the seven secretaries listened to the report of the Liujiapu battle, Chen Ke couldn't help exchanging a look with Shang Yuan.

"Let's fight out." Hua Xiongmao said.

"Right, it won't do not to fight out anymore." You Gou supported very much.

He Zudao didn't speak, but everyone knew He Zudao absolutely supported the view of fighting out.

In the final vote, the seven secretaries unanimously agreed to the opinion of fighting out.

But unexpectedly, after the Party Standing Committee made this decision, the first order Secretary Chen Ke issued was to send someone to recall Chen Tianhua, who was far away in Hebei, back to the Central Committee for work. Comrades in the People's Party knew Chen Tianhua was in Hebei, but they didn't quite understand why Chen Ke recalled Chen Tianhua to the Central Committee now. But no one opposed either.

On September 20, 1906, the entire fleet of the Waterway Detachment returned to the base area after completing the task of sending New Army soldiers. Immediately, the troops participating in this battle exchanged a large number of personnel with the First and Second Regiments. The newly formed Waterway Detachment was three times the size of the previous troop. After the fleet set out again, battles of breaking fortified villages and saving common people unfolded on both banks of the Huai River immediately.

The People's Party's military struggle actually unfolded so early; before this, including Chen Ke, no one expected it.