Liu Shicheng was a young man in his early twenties, with a round face, medium build, and a very simple appearance. Before he was arrested, his affair had already spread through the military camp as a joke. Everyone had some sympathy for his encounter, plus the Battalion Officer of the Transport Battalion didn't deliberately want "revenge," so apart from being beaten with twenty military sticks, Liu Shicheng didn't suffer any other injuries. Moreover, for these twenty military sticks, the executioner didn't want to make things too difficult for him either, so the beating wasn't heavy. When he followed the guard cautiously into the room, he didn't look like he had difficulty walking.

As soon as he saw Anhui Governor En Ming, before the guard could speak, Liu Shicheng immediately knelt on the ground and began to kowtow like pounding garlic. Such an excited expression startled the guard who was eyeing him covetously. Seeing Liu Shicheng didn't do anything out of line, the guard moved his hand away from the waist knife.

En Ming sized up Liu Shicheng kneeling on the ground, then said: "Who is kneeling?"

"Small person [I] Liu Shicheng." Liu Shicheng said while kowtowing a few more times.

En Ming felt Liu Shicheng kowtowing like this delayed things very much; the words relayed by the guard made En Ming feel the matter was big. He said: "Speak properly. Don't kowtow so much first."

"Yes, this small person will definitely speak properly." After speaking, Liu Shicheng couldn't help kowtowing twice more before straightening his upper body. He just looked at En Ming squarely; eyeing that official robe and the button and peacock feather on the cap, Liu Shicheng couldn't help but lie down and kowtow once more.

"Liu Shicheng, what exactly is this so-called Revolutionary Party rebellion you mentioned? Tell me in detail." En Ming asked.

"My Lord." Liu Shicheng just shouted once, but kowtowed again. "Please agree to one thing for this small person, and this small person will tell everything."

As soon as these words were spoken, En Ming's guard shouted: "My Lord asks you a question, and you dare to negotiate terms." After speaking, the guard had already raised his foot and kicked Liu Shicheng in the ribs. This kick was quite ruthless, directly kicking Liu Shicheng to the ground. Kicking this once didn't relieve the guard's anger; he followed up and kicked several more times, making Liu Shicheng scream repeatedly. "Speak when told to speak; you dare to disobey My Lord. You rogue, your gall is too big."

"Stop beating for now." En Ming raised his hand to stop the guard. "Liu Shicheng, do you want to redeem your sister?"

"Exactly!" Liu Shicheng endured the pain and crawled a few steps towards En Ming, looking like he wanted to hug En Ming's legs to beg. How could the guard let Liu Shicheng get close? He went up and kicked him again. "You getting close to My Lord, what do you intend?"

Domestic slaves of princes were used to being arrogant and extremely particular about rules. En Ming felt it was a bit excessive, but on second thought, if the Revolutionary Party could find Liu Shicheng, I'm afraid this person wasn't any good stuff either. Seeing Liu Shicheng shrinking into a ball in fear after being beaten, looking well-behaved, En Ming felt it wasn't bad. He just raised his hand and waved again, signaling the guard not to beat him anymore.

"Liu Shicheng, since the Revolutionary Party went to find you, I'm afraid you can't get away with it either. Presumably, you are not a good person either." En Ming sneered.

These words frightened Liu Shicheng quite a bit. He was not a Revolutionary Party member at all; someone just knew his experience and ran to lobby him. Hearing En Ming say this, Liu Shicheng immediately kowtowed like pounding garlic again. "My Lord, this small person has absolutely no relationship with those chaotic parties; this small person is loyal and devoted. My Lord, this small person... this small person is wronged."

Hearing this, the guard couldn't bear it anymore and immediately kicked him again. "You dare to say My Lord wronged you."

Seeing Liu Shicheng frightened like this, En Ming didn't want to scare him more. He said in a majestic voice: "Liu Shicheng, listen well. I won't haggle over your past matters anymore. But you must speak honestly to this official. If you dare to hide a word, this official will definitely execute you without mercy. Of course, regarding your sister's matter, wait until the matter is investigated clearly. This official will also send someone to redeem your sister. To fulfill your flesh-and-blood affection. Whether you want to die or live depends on how you choose."

"My Lord, this small person will definitely say everything." Liu Shicheng said while kowtowing.

En Ming said in a majestic voice: "Speak!"

Liu Shicheng immediately began to pour out everything like beans from a bamboo tube. The matter wasn't complicated either. After he was released, someone claiming to be from the Yuewang Society came to find him immediately, hoping he would join the revolution. Liu Shicheng was full of resentment at that time; he asked the other party to help redeem his sister, and the Yuewang Society people agreed very crisply. Then the Yuewang Society people boasted that they had tens of thousands of troops and horses under their command and would come to attack Anqing Prefecture immediately. As long as Liu Shicheng acted as an insider with them and secretly opened the city gate when guarding the city, it would be fine. That person spoke with a flow of eloquence, boasting that an army of tens of thousands would kill all the way along the Yangtze River, seizing everything from Wuhu to Anqing. As long as Liu Shicheng was willing to defect to the revolution, there would definitely be glory and wealth in the future.

Glory and wealth might be very attractive, but the only thing Liu Shicheng wanted now was to rescue his sister. So he agreed readily. As a result, it was originally agreed to be two days, but unexpectedly there was no news after waiting for three days. It is the most common thing for jianghu people to make promises casually. Liu Shicheng also borrowed money everywhere these days, wanting to scrape together money to redeem his sister. But unexpectedly, because Liu Shicheng offended the Battalion Officer, the people around simply didn't lend money to him. In this despair, seeing the Governor's guard come, he felt he grabbed a life-saving straw and immediately requested to expose the crimes of the Revolutionary Party. Hoping to use this merit in exchange for his sister's freedom.

"That person claiming to be from the Yuewang Society said Yan Fu and Pu Guanshui are both their subordinates?" En Ming asked with a frown.

Liu Shicheng said hurriedly: "Exactly. They said both of these two are people of the Yuewang Society; as insiders then, they can absolutely take Anqing Prefecture."

"Then what else did they say?" En Ming continued to ask.

"They said they would rebel around the Spring Festival, not long from now. They wanted this small person to join quickly and help them persuade other New Army brothers."

"I mean regarding Yan Fu and Pu Guanshui, these two people, what else did they say?" En Ming pressed.

"They didn't say anything else. Just mentioned them." Liu Shicheng answered blinking his eyes.

Looking at Liu Shicheng's eager and expectant gaze, En Ming asked a few more questions. Only then did he sneer: "Liu Shicheng, you are being dishonest."

These words startled Liu Shicheng. He hurriedly kowtowed, saying while kowtowing: "My Lord, what I said is all truth."

En Ming slammed the table. "What truth! Men, take him to the yamen and interrogate carefully."

Without waiting for Liu Shicheng to speak, the guard had already dragged Liu Shicheng up and forcibly dragged him away amidst Liu Shicheng's cries of grievance.

When the guard returned, En Ming was tasting tea calmly, looking as if he didn't care at all. The guard hurried forward and said: "My Lord, what this Liu Shicheng said is probably not fake."

"Hmph, what he said may not be fake. But the people mentioned are very problematic. Yan Fu just passed by us not long ago, and Vice Commander Pu Guanshui was in Fengyang Prefecture a few months ago. I haven't even heard of this Yuewang Society; how could these two people become subordinates of some Yuewang Society?"

"My Lord, I have heard a little about the Yuewang Society. I heard they have some connection with Xu Xilin." The guard said somewhat hesitantly.

"What?" En Ming was startled. He had already accepted Xu Xilin as a disciple, but didn't expect his disciple to be implicated in such things.

"I heard when Mr. Xu talked about the New Policies, he was also very radical and quite dissatisfied with the Court." The guard could only say this much.

En Ming didn't speak. In these years, if someone wanting to do something praised the Court endlessly, it could only be said to be lying with open eyes. Although En Ming himself was absolutely loyal to the Court, asking himself honestly, En Ming would absolutely not praise the Court's many failures that forfeited sovereignty and humiliated the country. That was why he wanted to hurry up and promote the New Policies and run education. Striving to revive this Court which was already in crisis and crumbling. Also because of this, when scholars and gentry cursed the Court's series of failures, the Court couldn't help but be "tolerant." If the Court engaged in high-pressure policies now and struck hard at this group of people, I'm afraid before these people were wiped out, these people would have risen up to overthrow the Court.

En Ming understood Xu Xilin's eager mood to promote the New Policies very well. Since he hoped so much to promote the New Policies, he certainly couldn't be very satisfied with the Court. If Xu Xilin really knew a few revolutionaries, it wasn't strange at all. It would be strange if Xu Xilin didn't know revolutionaries. What En Ming wanted to use was Xu Xilin's ability, and Xu Xilin's loyalty to him. As long as Xu Xilin didn't participate in rebellion, En Ming could tolerate Xu Xilin.

But such things couldn't be told to the guard. Looking at the guard's loyal gaze, En Ming instructed: "You go investigate this matter. I will ask Xu Xilin myself."

The guard immediately went out under orders. Not long after, someone announced Xu Xilin's arrival. These days, Xu Xilin always came to visit En Ming at this time, to report work on one hand, and to listen to En Ming's arrangements on the other.

After Xu Xilin saluted and sat down, En Ming asked: "Bosun, do you know people from the Yuewang Society?"

Hearing this, Xu Xilin was startled violently. His relationship with the people of the Yuewang Society had been quite deep these days. Xu Xilin had discussed the matter of Chen Ke attacking Anqing with Bai Wenwei of the Yuewang Society many times. Now suddenly asked about the Yuewang Society by En Ming, Xu Xilin managed not to hang shock on his face thanks to his usual tempering. His mind turned rapidly; first he thought for a moment, then said in a curious tone: "Teacher, is the Yuewang Society some hometown fellow association? The student knows some friends here, but doesn't know if there are any from the Yuewang Society among them. If Teacher wants to investigate, I will go back and start asking."

En Ming smiled. "Bosun, usually when you supervise school affairs in the New Policies, does anyone speak of revolution?"

"There are some who complain about the Court, but none speak of revolution." Xu Xilin answered very skillfully. "The student absolutely knows propriety and will not let Teacher down."

Seeing Xu Xilin didn't panic and answered normally, En Ming was relieved. Xu Xilin was his important assistant in promoting the New Policies in Anqing; En Ming didn't want to persecute him too much either. If no evidence was found for such things, it simply couldn't be clarified. Moreover, En Ming belonged to those parachuted into Anhui and didn't have his own team. Punishing such a capable person as Xu Xilin would bring no other benefit than bearing the name of improper employment. After talking for a while longer, Xu Xilin got up to leave.

Walking on the street, Xu Xilin only felt the sweat on his back had turned ice-cold. He never expected En Ming to actually hear some rumors. While walking, Xu Xilin couldn't help looking back to see if anyone was following him. After Chen Ke said he wanted to attack Anqing, and getting the news that Yan Fu was the mastermind behind the scenes, Xu Xilin actually believed it quite a bit now. If En Ming noticed in advance, this matter would probably fall short of success. Tao Chengzhang had made it clear that this time the Guangfuhui must take charge of Anqing no matter what. Even Wuhu, Tongling, and Chizhou—the Guangfuhui must seize dominance. With such a series of cities, the Guangfuhui would have enough rallying power. Letting the People's Party attack Anqing this time could only succeed, not fail. Now that En Ming had noticed, Xu Xilin felt his brain was extremely chaotic. Worried about the failure of the revolution, and worried about whether En Ming was already prepared to arrest him.

Actually, Xu Xilin worried too much; the Manchu Qing simply didn't have the ability to do these things at this time. Xu Xilin naturally couldn't know that in history he killed En Ming, and the succeeding Anhui Governor Feng Xu handled the shooting case. He handled this matter properly by the method of "trying the case without implicating a single person, mainly dispersing accomplices, showing leniency." After Xu Xilin was executed, Governor Feng publicly wrote a couplet for him, written in the Daguanting [Grand View Pavilion] in Anqing. The couplet read: "Great disaster in days to come, facing this vastness, a hundred feelings gather; the heroic spirit is not dim, inspecting this loyal integrity, it is not my foolishness."

The meaning of the first line of this couplet is lamenting that the Qing court is about to perish (great disaster in days to come); although Xu Xilin is a "rebel" at present, he will be a meritorious martyr in the future. Standing in front of Xu's tomb, thinking of the inevitable demise of the Imperial Court and the inevitable victory of the revolution, his heart is blank and mixed with a hundred feelings. The meaning of the second line is openly praising Xu Xilin (heroic spirit is not dim), hoping Xu's heroic soul can forgive his execution of him; it was just acting under orders, fulfilling a foolish loyalty to the Qing court.

Even the Manchu Qing governor had this attitude, let alone the suppression level of the Manchu Qing. Before the 1911 Revolution, the Manchu Qing responded passively to revolutionary uprisings; there were basically no proactive strikes.

Who exactly leaked the news? Only after returning to his residence did Xu Xilin decide to investigate this matter first.

This matter was investigated very quickly; the fact of Liu Shicheng "betraying the revolution" was soon found out clearly. The people of the Yuewang Society gnashed their teeth at this, but after Liu Shicheng left with En Ming's guard, he didn't come back at all. They were powerless to eliminate this "traitor." The Yuewang Society felt extremely unvented, but at this time an opportunity to let them vent their anger was given. The Spring Festival was coming soon; New Army officers and soldiers naturally didn't have leave to visit relatives. To boost morale, there was such a "comforting the troops" event. "Female entertainers" had to appear when comforting the troops, so Liu Shicheng's sister got on the list. The people of the Yuewang Society in the New Army instigated a little, and the Battalion Officer of the Transport Battalion was very satisfied with this suggestion, so the list was set.

This news was soon spread by interested people; which one was Liu Shicheng's sister became the focus of the New Army. The New Army did not set up camp prostitutes, nor were they allowed to stay with prostitutes in the military camp. But these female entertainers for comforting the troops would naturally be taken advantage of by everyone greatly. And out of "curiosity," Liu Shicheng's sister was even more the focus.

After "comforting the troops" ended, at a secret meeting point, former New Army officer Xie Jinfu, who had already joined the People's Party, said to several New Army officers and soldiers who were usually relatively reliable and whose families were also in Fengyang Prefecture: "Brothers, today they can bring Liu Shicheng's sister; tomorrow can they bring Liu Shicheng's old mother? Who will it be the day after tomorrow? I have brought the letters from brothers' relatives. I just want to ask, is there any need for you to sell your lives for this bunch of sons of bitches?"

The families of these New Army officers and soldiers were all from Fengyang Prefecture. When Pu Guanshui led some New Army soldiers to Fengyang Prefecture, these people entrusted Xie Jinfu to take care of their families. When the People's Party went to save the relatives of the New Army officers and soldiers who followed Pu Guanshui, they brought them back to the base area together. These New Army family members also wrote letters and attached tokens. As soon as these things were delivered to the hands of these New Army officers and soldiers, they knew their families were indeed saved by the People's Party and fell into the hands of the People's Party.

"Brothers, when fighting starts, bullets fly randomly and swords and guns have no eyes. if everyone doesn't want to die in vain for these sons of bitches, and still wants to reunite with family, then follow us. Everyone don't worry; I came back from Fengyang Prefecture, I saw it personally. Everyone there was distributed land, all top-grade irrigated land; everyone was distributed red brick new houses. Won't freeze or starve, nor lack clothing or food. We must have a conscience as humans. The People's Party is the savior of our common people; they will absolutely not treat us unfairly, nor treat our families unfairly."

"Then Brother Xie, why does my parents' letter say my two younger brothers died?" Hu Liangyong asked with a crying tone.

"That was before the People's Party arrived at your home; your family must have explained this clearly, right? If not for the People's Party arriving at your home, who knows how many people would be left in your family now."

"Brother Xie, what do we do when the time comes?" Someone didn't want to dwell on this. "You don't want us to rebel directly, do you?"