While Xu Xilin had profound doubts about the purpose of Chen Ke's letter, Chen Ke was also arranging future strategies. The Military Commission of the People's Party added a new comrade; the old soldier Yan Fu joined the highest command and decision-making body of the Worker-Peasant Revolutionary Army. regarding Chen Ke's suggestion to hand Anqing over to Xu Xilin, Yan Fu's performance was quite different from those young comrades.

For comrades like He Zudao, they also asked questions, but the purpose of asking was merely to understand Chen Ke's purpose in doing so. These young cadres were all followers of Chen Ke; they didn't think their judgment could be wiser than Chen Ke's. So understanding Chairman Chen Ke's strategic purpose to better execute Chairman Chen Ke's ideas was the driving force for their questions.

But Hua Xiongmao, Zhang Yu, and several other comrades really felt it necessary to understand Chen Ke's strategic thinking. After all, they were commanders of the troops; they believed they possessed such a right. Not to mention that the Central Military Commission was not Chen Ke's one-man rule.

As for Yan Fu, he neither intended to follow Chen Ke blindly nor had the consciousness of a senior commander; he simply wanted to understand Chen Ke's military ability.

"Anqing has only one meaning for us: taking Anqing and destroying the ruling center of the Manchu Qing in Anhui will throw the whole of Anhui into chaos. The Beijing government is unable to directly control various prefectures and counties. After Anqing is destroyed, the reaction of other places in Anhui can only be to stick to their cities for defense. What we want to fight for is the vast number of common people in the countryside. If the Manchu Qing forces don't come to make trouble, we can open up base areas with ease. So we must conquer Anqing. Let Anhui be chaotic."

Listening to Chen Ke's explanation, Yan Fu deeply agreed. The old handsome guy Yan Fu had a limited evaluation of the battle of Fengyang Prefecture. Fengyang Prefecture had lax military preparations; the defending troops had no guard against a group of troops wearing New Army uniforms. When disarming them, some people actually tried to argue that they hadn't broken the law, completely failing to understand that these people opposite them were not the New Army at all. After the city gate guards were easily dealt with, the remaining attack targets were extremely easy. The officials of Fengyang Prefecture never expected that someone would attack the prefecture city in broad daylight, so they had no defense at all. This battle itself was extremely easy.

What Yan Fu admired was the troops' discipline of committing no crimes against the people, as well as their efficient actions. When sweeping through Fengyang Prefecture, the troops didn't kill innocent people at all, but just took various key points. Gunshots frightened the common people; the troops even maintained order, taking care of children lost in panic and handing them over to anxious parents searching for them. Because of the lack of accommodation, the troops simply slept under the eaves of common people's houses on the streets of Fengyang County for a night. Those petty thieves also tried to harm the common people taking advantage of the chaos; patrolling troops arrested them, then gathered the common people for a public trial. After the trial, they were all shot. Such orderliness and training were highly appreciated by Yan Fu. Not joining an organization like bandits made Yan Fu very relieved.

As for Chen Ke mentioning making Anhui chaotic, Yan Fu completely understood the meaning. With the group of dragons without a leader [leaderless group], the People's Party could concentrate its strength to expand the base area, concentrating superior forces to defeat enemies one by one. As a senior naval officer, knowing why one must seize the T-position [Crossing the T] in naval battles—it is to concentrate firepower to eliminate the enemy. The Lanchester combat power equation studies this; Yan Fu had read this military tutorial by Chen Ke and praised it greatly. Of course, Yan Fu didn't know that this equation, which was only created in 1914 in history, was named the "Chen Ke Combat Equation" by later generations due to Chen Ke's appearance and his taking the lead in proposing the calculus model of this equation.

Yan Fu greatly appreciated the significance of "concentrating superior forces to fight battles of annihilation" proposed by Chen Ke. Once the overall command of Anqing was lost, the Manchu Qing military forces in various places would be a sheet of loose sand; those Manchu Qing forces sticking to cities for self-defense would become the best targets. As the saying goes, injuring ten fingers is not as good as breaking one finger. The Manchu Qing had only so many troops; after being annihilated one by one, the Manchu Qing simply couldn't replenish them in time. Even if replenished, they would just be a mob, not worth fearing at all.

Of course, to realize such a strategic concept required firstly the support of the vast number of common people, and secondly the strong marching ability of the troops. "Seizing the countryside, rural areas encircling the cities"—this was Chen Ke's strategic framework. In this battle to attack Fengyang Prefecture, the troops marching nearly twenty kilometers in three hours in not-too-rugged mountainous terrain also gave Yan Fu a quite deep impression.

After Chen Ke's explanation, the comrades of the Military Commission also roughly understood Chen Ke's strategic concept. In Yan Fu's view, this meeting could continue. Unexpectedly, Hua Xiongmao asked hesitantly: "Chairman Chen, you want to hand Anqing over to Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin because they are old acquaintances with us?"

Yan Fu was very puzzled by such inexplicable words. But he was over fifty years old after all, more composed than young people. Scanning the other members of the Military Commission, he saw some comrades had complex expressions; for example, He Zudao looked like he wanted to speak but stopped. Some comrades had blank faces; for example, Pu Guanshui obviously didn't know what these words meant.

"Comrade Hua Xiongmao, we are talking about official business; don't bring personal feelings into work." Chen Ke said seriously.

Hua Xiongmao turned his face away to look at the table surface. A moment later, he turned his face back to Chen Ke and asked in an unwilling tone: "Chairman Chen, since when did you start planning this matter?"

"Brigade Commander Hua, is there any meaning in asking this?" He Zudao couldn't help interrupting Hua Xiongmao's questioning. The eight earliest party members of the People's Party knew that Chen Ke had a deep relationship with Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin; Chen Ke was brought to Shanghai by Xu Xilin. Everyone was also clear about the relative relationship between Hua Xiongmao and Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin. He Zudao didn't want Hua Xiongmao to dispute this matter with Chen Ke in public. Chen Ke might have calculated his former benefactors, but if Hua Xiongmao opposed the subsequent strategic concept based on such a reason, he would absolutely not get the support of other comrades. Even He Zudao wouldn't support Hua Xiongmao.

Before Hua Xiongmao could answer, Chen Ke said loudly: "Comrade Hua Xiongmao, I can tell you clearly, I am not calculating Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin. What I am considering now is the idea of the Guangfuhui. We inevitably have to deal with the Guangfuhui. Xu Xilin is our old friend, but Xu Xilin is the representative of the Guangfuhui in Anhui. I won't calculate an old friend; that's meaningless. But I must calculate the existence of other political forces in Anhui into it. Can you understand this point? Comrade Hua Xiongmao."

After hearing this, Hua Xiongmao unexpectedly showed a shame that only a child who said something wrong would have. A moment later, he returned to his usual firm attitude. "This is my ill consideration; Chairman Chen, I spoke wrong. I don't mean to give special care to Xu Xilin because of personal feelings. Please believe me on this point."

Chen Ke nodded very understandingly, and then continued: "After we take Anqing, the Manchu Qing will definitely retake Anqing. Trade in Anqing will terminate; don't even think about getting tax money or anything from there. If we stay in Anqing, we have to invest heavy troops to maintain it; at this stage, we don't have so many troops. Limited troops and materials used in Anqing are far inferior to being used in expanding base areas. But simply letting the Manchu Qing retake Anqing, we would lose more than we gain. So handing Anqing over to the Guangfuhui is the best choice."

None of the Military Commission members had any womanly benevolence. Everyone certainly didn't lack sympathy, but facing the realistic situation, the comrades thought letting the Guangfuhui take the heat in Anqing was a good choice.

Pu Guanshui asked: "What if the Guangfuhui doesn't agree to accept Anqing?"

"Regardless of whether they agree or not, after we take Anqing, we transport personnel and materials away, and then retreat according to plan. Occupying Anqing now is just taking on a burden. Whoever wants this burden can have it. Anyway, I don't think we need Anqing now." Chen Ke answered decisively. "Perhaps someone will say, after occupying Anqing, raise an arm and call, and all directions will respond. But the comrades of the Military Commission all have so much practical work experience. Occupying Anqing, exactly how many Anhui common people can know this news? How many common people will respond to our call? Even if someone responds, who will be responding to this call? Speaking more realistically, staying in Anqing for a day, how much grain and money can we get? With this strength, engaging in base areas in the countryside, how many more base areas can we expand? How many common people's lives can we save? I think everyone can calculate this account clearly."

Hearing this, a burst of laughter came from among the comrades, but this laughter was not simple at all. Chen Ke could hear that everyone was still quite regretful. After all, Anqing was the provincial capital of Anhui; occupying Anqing meant having enough rallying power. It might not necessarily fail to trigger a chain reaction nationwide.

Chen Ke stood up and walked to the map board in the conference room. He first tapped the location of Fengtai County, then tapped the location of Anqing. "Comrades, the land is dead, people are alive. If we win the support of the common people, then we have endless manpower. Consider our transportation line; Anqing is just a city we can't afford for us. Revolution is to let everyone live a better life; we can't do this losing business."

"I firmly support Chairman Chen Ke's opinion." Zhang Yu spoke immediately. As the commander of the Water Detachment, he knew the problem of the transportation line deeply. From Fengtai County to Anqing Prefecture, the enemies on both banks of the transportation line had not been cleared. Guaranteeing the smooth flow of transportation was simply a fantasy. Not to mention it was a disaster year now, and Anqing Prefecture didn't have much grain either.

With Zhang Yu taking the lead, other comrades also expressed agreement. So the basic strategic framework was passed. The operational goal of the People's Party armed forces was to conquer Anqing and capture or eliminate Manchu Qing officials in Anhui. Next discussed was the more detailed operational plan.