The common failing of the entire society in the late Qing was impetuousness. The old social system could no longer solve various practical problems at all. The result was that whether the Manchu Qing government or the revolutionary parties below, they were all eager for quick success and instant benefits like headless flies.

Attacking Anqing this time, Chen Ke wanted to disrupt the situation, not to help "revolutionaries" like Tao Chengzhang seize the world. Even so, Tao Chengzhang's performance still made Chen Ke feel somewhat unbearable. Let alone the fact that Tao Chengzhang dared to come to receive Anqing with three hundred people, Tao Chengzhang actually wanted to rely on these three hundred people to get Chizhou and Anqing at the same time, and even wanted to command Chen Ke. Needless to say Chen Ke was speechless; even Chen Tianhua, Shang Yuan, and others beside Chen Ke couldn't help turning their faces away.

Even so, Chen Ke still wanted Tao Chengzhang to recognize the situation clearly. He said seriously: "Mr. Tao, you must have heard the saying 'speed is precious in war.' Now it really is too late. If En Ming pushes the cannons into Anqing City, how many more people will we have to die? Moreover, Anqing is where heavy troops are hoarded. If we go to take Anqing, Chizhou simply won't get reinforcements. What are you afraid of?"

"Just half a day will do." Tao Chengzhang continued to persuade, "Brother Wen Qing, just half a day; Anqing definitely won't get the news."

"We can't wait for half a day. This time was originally to let Mr. Tao take over Chizhou. You yourself are unprepared, and we don't have extra troops to help you. Moreover, Chizhou and Anqing are so close; as long as the Anqing New Army is eliminated, what else do you have to fear?"

"There are quite a few of our own people in the New Army." Tao Chengzhang said immediately.

This statement was obviously wrong, or at least it absolutely shouldn't be said like this. Chen Ke and the People's Party cadres immediately changed their expressions. But at least everyone still had some self-restraint and endured not saying anything else. Tao Chengzhang was also a smart person; seeing everyone's expression, he also knew he said the wrong thing in urgency. But Tao Chengzhang never had experience commanding thousands of troops, and still had the rebel mindset of weak defeating strong facing the Manchu Qing. As a result, Tao Chengzhang said the wrong thing again: "Brother Wen Qing, let's go into the city first to discuss with Mr. Yan Fu before talking."

Chen Tianhua couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted immediately: "Brother Huanqing, our troops are already fighting in the city; how do you want us to enter the city? You said at that time you would let comrades in the New Army be insiders; how exactly is this matter handled?"

Chen Tianhua had known Tao Chengzhang for several years, and the two had dealt with each other for a not short time. Tao Chengzhang used to handle things neatly and crisply; now facing a Chizhou, he was so worried about personal gains and losses, which made Chen Tianhua very dissatisfied.

Tao Chengzhang's face blushed. Persuading the New Army to be insiders was the thing he least wanted to mention now. The base area of the Guangfuhui was not in Anhui but in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; Anhui was originally the territory of the Yuewang Society. It was just that everyone interacted relatively closely. The news Bai Wenwei sent recently was very simple; the core meaning was "wait a bit longer." Xu Xilin and Qiu Jin were isolated and weak in the city and couldn't play any role. Regarding letting revolutionary comrades in the New Army be insiders, Tao Chengzhang actually couldn't do it at all.

Chen Tianhua was a revolutionary like Tao Chengzhang before, so he could particularly understand Tao Chengzhang's thoughts. Seeing Tao Chengzhang's dilemma, Chen Tianhua said sternly: "Brother Huanqing, if you can't handle this New Army matter, then there is no need to handle it. When we attack Anqing, if they refuse to surrender, then we will use the guns in our hands to make them surrender."

Hearing this, Tao Chengzhang's face immediately became very ugly. Compared with Chen Ke, Chen Tianhua was also considered an "acquaintance." Even an "acquaintance" had such an attitude; Chen Ke absolutely couldn't be easier to talk to than Chen Tianhua. But Tao Chengzhang still wanted to make a final effort. "I want to talk to Mr. Yan Fu about this matter."

Seeing Tao Chengzhang still prepared to grab the last life-saving straw, Chen Tianhua was very disappointed. "Brother Huanqing, Mr. Yan Fu is now scheduling the fleet to set off immediately."

"If Mr. Tao wants to see Mr. Yan Fu, we will send someone to take you there." Chen Ke finally interrupted. Chen Ke made this decision just to maintain the "United Front." Chen Ke didn't know the specific method of how the Party maintained the United Front back then. But making someone unable to step down face to face was obviously not a friendly practice.

As soon as Tao Chengzhang walked away, the party cadres beside Chen Ke looked at Chen Ke one by one. Chen Ke ordered: "Prepare for transfer now. As soon as the battle ends, take the captives to Anqing immediately. Comrades, from now on it's all hard battles; everyone won't be relaxed anymore. Is everyone prepared?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone understood that Chen Ke absolutely had no intention of compromising with Tao Chengzhang. Everyone immediately became spirited. "Don't worry, Chairman Chen. We will definitely be able to take Anqing and capture En Ming alive."

Yan Fu had his usual serious expression. After listening to Tao Chengzhang begging the People's Party to stay in Chizhou for a while longer, Yan Fu didn't even think and rejected it directly. "Huanqing, let me tell you two things. First, although I am Chen Ke's teacher, I am not the Chairman of the People's Party. Chen Ke is the Chairman of the People's Party. Second, the resolutions of the People's Party are decided jointly by the Party Committee; the decision of the Party Committee is the final decision of the People's Party, and party members must obey the decision. As a member of the People's Party myself, I must obey organizational discipline; there is no such thing as doing whatever I want. I can understand Huanqing's mood. What I can tell Huanqing is only that you hurry up and make a decision: stay in Chizhou now, or cross the river with us. Once crossing the river, the fleet will immediately go south and return. At that time, even we won't have ships to use; I have to tell Huanqing this first so you know."

Tao Chengzhang never expected Yan Fu to find such an unreliable reason as "obeying organizational discipline," and was speechless for a moment. This couldn't be blamed on Tao Chengzhang either; although everyone talked about "discipline" in these years, this discipline was always for others to obey. When it came to themselves, everyone talked about their respective seniority, strength, and power in the organization. It could be said to have nothing to do with discipline. In Tao Chengzhang's worldview, this was Yan Fu deliberately fooling him.

But if Chen Ke "fooled" Tao Chengzhang, Tao Chengzhang could still resist a bit. Since Yan Fu said so, Tao Chengzhang could only accept. While he was silent and thinking, Yan Fu was not idle; he constantly issued orders, mobilizing the fleet to be ready for sailing. Facing such a cold reception, Tao Chengzhang was a talent after all, and usually very assertive, only temporarily disrupted in his habitual steps by the People's Party's straightforward attitude. This couldn't be entirely blamed on Tao Chengzhang either; after all, before seeing it with his own eyes, he really didn't believe the People's Party already had such power. Now there was no other choice; he calculated again and again and made up his mind.

Calling the comrades beside him, Tao Chengzhang first sent people to contact the Guangfuhui comrades who hadn't arrived temporarily immediately, letting them hurry to Chizhou. Then he ordered the Guangfuhui comrades who had already arrived in Chizhou to enter in formation immediately after the People's Party yielded Chizhou. Because there was no time to bring notices, Tao Chengzhang dictated the content of the notice to reassure the people. Strictly ordered comrades not to loot the common people, and to maintain order in Chizhou. Anyone encountering bandits looting during the chaos could be shot on the spot to warn others.

Tao Chengzhang ordered loudly one by one like this, which was quite methodical. The comrades didn't think as much as Tao Chengzhang. Having obtained the city of Chizhou with difficulty, the revolution was no longer flowers in the mirror or moon in the water; the revolution had a city. Although they knew taking Chizhou was not the credit of the Guangfuhui, these comrades still accepted the orders excitedly and left.

Yan Fu heard Tao Chengzhang's orders clearly. Yan Fu knew Tao Chengzhang's thought of wanting to show his capability very well. It was just that Tao Chengzhang thought wrong. As the principal of the Beiyang Naval Academy, Yan Fu was proficient in military affairs. Since being forced to leave the army after the Gengzi Incident, the only thing he could look up to was the Military Commission meeting of the People's Party. The complexity of modern military operations was simply not what Tao Chengzhang could imagine. The "capability" shown by Tao Chengzhang was as simple as children playing house in Yan Fu's view. Yan Fu originally didn't lack the intention to take care of Tao Chengzhang a little, but hearing this deployment, that bit of kindness immediately vanished.

Tao Chengzhang didn't know Yan Fu's thoughts. After giving orders, he felt the major event had been handled, so he said to Yan Fu: "Mr. Yan, I will cross the river with you."

After the battle ended, the troops of the People's Revolutionary Army rumbled out of Chizhou, and the members of the Guangfuhui also rushed into the city. The People's Revolutionary Army formed a two-column formation, while the Guangfuhui wanted to rush in like a swarm of bees. The teams of both sides immediately blocked the city gate. The one leading the team at the gate was Chai Qingguo; how could he regard the Guangfuhui highly? With an order, the Revolutionary Army troops pushed those people of the Guangfuhui aside.

"What are you doing?" How could the Guangfuhui expect the People's Party troops to be so fierce? Someone actually tried to grab Chai Qingguo to argue. Chai Qingguo didn't understand the gibberish southern dialect very well to begin with, and even less expected to be grabbed to argue. Moreover, the marching time was tight. Both sides exchanged a few sentences in words they completely didn't understand. Chai Qingguo couldn't bear it anymore; he slapped away the hand grabbing him and was about to leave. Perhaps the force was too great; the person opposite staggered and fell to the ground. This annoyed the people of the Guangfuhui, and several people came up immediately.

Fortunately, Chen Tianhua and Tao Chengzhang had already seen the friction and rushed over at this time, so the matter didn't get bigger. Chen Tianhua only heard the person from the Guangfuhui who was knocked down just now shouting: "A small soldier, what are you arrogant about?"

He quickly explained: "This is not a small soldier; this is Brigade Commander Chai Qingguo of our People's Revolutionary Army. His military rank is equivalent to the Commander of a New Army Mixed Brigade."

Hearing this, not only did that person dare not make a sound, but even Tao Chengzhang was startled. The attire of the People's Party troops was almost exactly the same; the only difference was the shoulder badges and the marks on the back of the uniform. With such a large group of dark blue soldiers passing by, Guangfuhui members who didn't understand the People's Party military system couldn't see any difference at all.

Chai Qingguo didn't want to waste time here at all; he ran after the team without saying a word. Chen Tianhua didn't want to waste time either. He asked Tao Chengzhang to command the Guangfuhui to enter the city later, and he himself also ran towards the river following Chai Qingguo.

"Mr. Tao, how did so many people defect to the People's Party? They look even more mighty than the official army." The people of the Guangfuhui were already confused. Tao Chengzhang couldn't answer this question at all either.

The troops boarded the ships extremely fast. After Tao Chengzhang led three hundred people to occupy the Chizhou Prefecture Magistrate's Yamen, he ran to the riverside again. He saw less than two hundred people left on the shore boarding the ships. When he and Chen Tianhua boarded the ship together, the river bank was already empty. The sailors shouted chanties and rowed hard. The fleet sailed towards the next target, Mawo Town east of Anqing Prefecture City.

Being on Chen Ke's command ship, Tao Chengzhang's biggest feeling was "clean and tidy." The fleet didn't look like it had experienced a long march at all; the cabin was almost spotless. The muddy footprints stamped by everyone getting on and off the ship were actually cleaned up by Chen Ke leading the comrades personally. This strange practice made Tao Chengzhang extremely uncomfortable. What game was Chen Ke playing?

And what made him even more unaccustomed was the uniform dark blue military uniforms in the entire cabin. Obviously, these cloths were not good cloth and had been washed many times. Some cloths had been washed white, and there were quite a few patches. But these simple-styled military uniforms were so neat and tidy, combined with uniform short hair, giving Tao Chengzhang a huge pressure.

Chen Ke and other cadres were all looking at the map; no one cared about an extra Tao Chengzhang. Tao Chengzhang looked at the map carefully from the side; he saw the map was colorful, completely different from the government maps he had seen, looking more like foreign maps. Being treated as non-existent was very annoying. Tao Chengzhang's shrewdness was not bad; he could endure loneliness and stayed honestly on the side.

Before evening, the fleet finally arrived at the destination. What shocked Tao Chengzhang even more was that he thought the fleet would anchor by the river, but unexpectedly, after unloading materials, the fleet set sail one by one and went downstream with the current. He couldn't hold back anymore and grabbed Chen Tianhua asking: "Xingtai, where is the fleet going? Back to Chizhou?"

Chen Tianhua looked at Tao Chengzhang with a slight sympathy. "The fleet is going back to Fengyang."

"Then how will you go back after fighting Anqing?" Tao Chengzhang immediately thought that the People's Party wanted to occupy Anqing and not leave.

Chen Tianhua was a smart person; seeing Tao Chengzhang's expression, he knew the general idea. He laughed: "Don't worry, Brother Huanqing. After fighting Anqing, we won't stay; we will go back by land. The fleet leaving first is not for anything else; when fighting Anqing, the news will definitely leak. Many waterways along the way are still controlled by the Manchu Qing. If the fleet doesn't leave now, and gets blocked in the waterway then, it won't be able to return to Fengyang at all."

Tao Chengzhang knew these words made sense, and what use was it for him to worry again? He simply smiled open-mindedly: "It seems the People's Party is burning one's boats [crossing the Rubicon]."

Chen Tianhua did not deny it; he just nodded silently.