Shi Dekuan wore the uniform of the Anhui New Army, only the red embroidered armband on his left arm read "Picket." This young man born in 1885 was just 22 years old this year. The four Yuewang Society members following Shi Dekuan all looked unhappy. The group walked silently on the streets of Anqing. It was not yet the fifteenth of the first lunar month; if in previous years, the streets should be extremely lively. Amidst sporadic firecrackers, children would run around the streets, and businessmen should also open their doors for business. But now, pedestrians on the street were scarce, shops were closed and locked, and the lively Anqing seemed to have become a dead city.

When the group patrolled near the entrance of the Anqing Governor's Yamen, they saw some people in long gowns surrounding the gate of the Governor's Yamen demanding to see Revolutionary Army Commander Chen Duxiu. The guards stopped this group of "Long Gown Party" from entering. The few people with Shi Dekuan saw this situation and couldn't help cursing in a low voice: "Those damn People's Party members."

Shi Dekuan didn't answer; he held the position of picket in the Yuewang Society, responsible for the internal discipline of the Yuewang Society. These gentry blocking the gate of the Anqing Revolutionary Government was not an internal dispute. Shi Dekuan and his comrades bypassed this group of people and continued their patrol work.

"Dekuan, let's go south," someone advised.

Hearing this, Shi Dekuan's pace slowed for a moment, then became firm and powerful again. Seeing Shi Dekuan didn't listen to advice at all, the speaker hurriedly caught up two steps and grabbed Shi Dekuan. "Dekuan, those secret society members act like this. And it's just visiting brothels; why are you so serious? When fighting starts, we still have to rely on the people under the secret societies."

" The Revolutionary Army is not allowed to sleep with prostitutes. If I, as a picket, don't manage it, who will?" Shi Dekuan asked.

"What use is it that you managed it so many times? Those people almost hate you to death. And who has ever supported you?" The comrade who spoke just now looked at Shi Dekuan with a gaze of "resenting iron for not becoming steel." The eyes of several other picket team members were also very unfriendly.

"Before, the People's Party abducted female students; after the secret societies entered the city, they gambled and slept with prostitutes. What exactly is wrong with this revolution? I can't control the People's Party, but can't I control the secret societies?" There was uncontrollable anger in Shi Dekuan's voice.

Just at this moment, a New Army signal soldier rushed up from behind. Seeing Shi Dekuan, the signal soldier shouted: "Mr. Shi, Commander Chen invites you back."

Hearing this, the expression of the comrades who dissuaded Shi Dekuan immediately became much more relaxed. Shi Dekuan glanced at the signal soldier angrily, but he didn't refuse this order either. Turning back, Shi Dekuan walked back towards the way he came.

Inside the Anhui Governor's Yamen was much livelier than on the street. People from the Yuewang Society went in and out of various rooms; this chaotic scene could stabilize people's mood very well. The main hall of the Governor's Yamen still maintained its majestic original appearance. Shi Dekuan passed through the main hall into the rear hall. The layout in the rear hall had changed greatly. The host and guest seats had been moved away; three square tables were put together to form a long table in the room. Sitting at the head was Chen Duxiu, the Commander-in-Chief of the current Anhui Revolutionary Government. On both sides of Chen Duxiu were the two major cadres of the Yuewang Society, Bai Wenwei and Chang Hengfang. Sitting further down were some other cadres. Some secret society leaders sat in even lower positions.

Chen Duxiu was talking with Bai Wenwei and Chang Hengfang. Seeing Shi Dekuan enter, the three stopped talking.

"Commander, what is the matter for calling me?" Shi Dekuan asked.

"Dekuan, I remember you are from Shouzhou," Chen Duxiu asked.

"Native of Shiji, Shouzhou." Shi Dekuan gave a more accurate answer.

Bai Wenwei took over Chen Duxiu's words: "We plan to appoint you as a representative to go to Fengtai County to talk with the People's Party once. It is too outrageous for the People's Party to abduct female students. Not only you go, but some gentry will go with you."

Hearing this, Shi Dekuan felt his spirit lifted, and his voice became louder. "Then when do we set off?"

Bai Wenwei replied: "Set off tomorrow. You go prepare now."

"Yes!"

Watching Shi Dekuan leave quickly, Bai Wenwei looked relieved. The secret society leaders looked at Shi Dekuan's back with disgusted eyes.

The history of the birth of the Yuewang Society was not long. In 1905, Bai Wenwei served as a gymnastics instructor at Anhui Public School in Wuhu, and Chen Duxiu also taught part-time at the Public School. The two agreed to visit Northern Anhui during the summer vacation. After returning, Bai Wenwei united with Chen Duxiu, Chang Hengfang, and other advanced students in Anhui Public School to establish the Yuewang Society. The meaning of the Yuewang Society was to admire King Yue [Yue Fei]'s spirit of serving the country with supreme loyalty. The address was at the Guanyue Temple [Guan Yu and Yue Fei Temple] in Wuhu at that time. The Yuewang Society was officially born in July or August 1905. There were more than 30 people participating in the organization initially. The first meeting read the oath at the Guandi Temple in Wuhu. And rented two rooms in Wuhu as a contact point. Most leaders of the Yuewang Society accepted the political program of the Tongmenghui at the same time. Except for Chen Duxiu, the main leading members all joined the Tongmenghui, and general members were considered to have joined collectively.

In October 1905, at the request of Zhao Sheng in Nanjing, Bai Wenwei went to the Ninth Division of the New Army to serve as the officer of the front team of the second battalion of the 33rd Regiment. In winter, Chang Hengfang went to Anqing to serve as the Dean of Discipline of Shangzhi School. Thus, the Yuewang Society was divided into three parts: the general headquarters in Wuhu, with Chen Duxiu as the President; Nanjing and Anqing as two branches, with Bai Wenwei and Chang Hengfang as branch heads.

By the end of February 1907, this revolutionary organization, which was born slightly later than the establishment of the People's Party, was less than two years old.

After experiencing the Battle of Anqing, everyone in the Yuewang Society knew that compared with the People's Party formed by Chen Ke, the strength of the Yuewang Society was definitely not just a little bit worse. Bai Wenwei had not been able to see the siege battle launched by the People's Party with his own eyes, but taking Anqing in one night, such a tough battle shocked Bai Wenwei very much. When he saw the traces of battle everywhere in Anqing City with his own eyes—large patches of blood, corpses, black traces left by hand grenade explosions—all demonstrated the intensity and cruelty of the battle. The People's Party with such armed forces was definitely not something the current Yuewang Society could challenge. In order to improve the strength of the Yuewang Society as soon as possible, they had to rope in secret societies as soon as possible.

"Mr. Bai, should today's military pay be issued?" A secret society leader sitting at the lower end asked shamelessly.

Since someone started, other secret society leaders immediately followed up. "Yeah, it's Chinese New Year; brothers have to ask for double shares no matter what, right?"

Bai Wenwei had to get used to such performance of the secret societies. These days, the secret societies did nothing but ask for money. He didn't even get angry anymore, just said calmly: "Didn't we agree on issuing pay every three days?"

regarding Bai Wenwei's statement, the secret society leaders simply didn't take it. "Mr. Bai, you seized Anqing; where is the lack of this little money? Give brothers double pay, so brothers will be willing to sell their lives when fighting starts."

"Eh? Gentlemen, we already agreed on pay every three days; we must talk about jianghu loyalty, right?" Bai Wenwei was long tired of dealing with these secret societies. Seeing the secret societies were relentless, his tone also became a bit impatient.

Hearing Bai Wenwei's tone became very impolite, a secret society leader suddenly slammed the table and shouted loudly: "Mr. Bai, I think you are a person who only knows how to talk! Our brothers follow you through birth and death; you are not even willing to pay this little money. What do you mean? Think we are easy to send away, don't you?"

"Show some respect." Before the secret society leader could continue speaking, Fan Chuanjia had already slammed the table and stood up. "When have we ever owed you the military pay we should give you? You went through birth and death—up to now, have you fought a battle? Or done anything? We only know how to talk? I think you are the ones who only know how to talk!"

The secret society leader didn't expect the Yuewang Society, which had always been polite to them, to suddenly become tough. Fan Chuanjia wore a New Army uniform, with a pistol tucked in his waist; standing up, he was also majestic and awe-inspiring. The secret society leader who scolded Bai Wenwei for "only knowing how to talk" just now dared not confront Fan Chuanjia directly either.

He turned his head not to look at Fan Chuanjia's eyes spraying anger, but looked at Chen Duxiu. "Commander Chen!" With this shout, the secret society leader's voice sounded as if he had suffered a great grievance. "Is this how you treat brothers? If there is anything, let's talk properly. Making it look so fierce and evil—are you letting us help you revolutionize? Doing this, aren't you afraid of chilling everyone's hearts?"

Chen Duxiu had a splitting headache over such things happening every few days. Looking like they got Anqing, Chen Duxiu's joy simply didn't last for a few days. He suddenly found that Anqing had become a hot potato, rather than the starting point of revolution as previously thought.

When the People's Party retreated, about 300 people from the Anhui New Army defected to the People's Party; they retreated to Fengyang Prefecture with the People's Party. The Anhui New Army had a total strength of more than 4,000 people. Originally, more than 300 people defected to the People's Party under Pu Guanshui's leadership. After the war, another 300 left. Plus those killed in battle, injured, and those who refused to defect to the revolution and fled. The military strength in the hands of the Yuewang Society was less than 1,800. These 1,800 people were extremely strained just defending Anqing, let alone organizing any expedition.

Without military strength, the Yuewang Society could only rely on the manpower of secret societies. But secret societies wanted money besides money. Without fighting a battle, the Yuewang Society had to fight a "war" with the secret societies first.

Originally in the plan of the Yuewang Society, the gentry near Anqing were the objects they could win over. Through the "donations" of the gentry, the Yuewang Society could gather a sum of money. This money used to hire the armed forces of secret societies everywhere could also open up the situation temporarily.

But the People's Party's act of abducting female students gave the Yuewang Society a huge headache. From Chen Ke's perspective, female students were naturally more likely to submit to realistic power. What the base area needed were intellectuals who could honestly be people's teachers, not a group of hot-headed young lads who didn't belong to the People's Party camp and had read books. But from the perspective of the female students' parents, their views were completely different. Gentry who were willing to pay for their daughters to study definitely loved their daughters dearly. Now that Anqing had undergone a military disaster, their daughters were nowhere to be found, dead or alive. The gentry naturally refused to cooperate with the Yuewang Society occupying Anqing. Not only refusing to cooperate, but they first demanded the Yuewang Society hand over their daughters.

The People's Party retreated extremely fast and took away all the horses of the Cavalry Camp. When the Yuewang Society learned the news that the People's Party troops had completely withdrawn from Anqing, they only hoped the People's Party would go as fast as possible. In the first few days of controlling Anqing, the Yuewang Society was completely immersed in a kind of ecstasy. It wasn't until Chen Duxiu and other cadres of the Yuewang Society general headquarters in Wuhu arrived in Anqing that the situation was preliminarily stabilized.

During this period, the revolutionary comrades of the Guangfuhui in Anqing City had all withdrawn to Chizhou on the south bank of the Yangtze River under the intentional exclusion of the Yuewang Society. It wasn't until more than thirty gentry "visited" Anqing Revolutionary Government Commander Chen Duxiu starting from New Year's Eve, asking about the whereabouts of their daughters, that the Yuewang Society knew the People's Party had abducted more than two hundred female students.

Chen Duxiu immediately sent people to chase the People's Party troops, but didn't even see a shadow. The Yuewang Society fell into a dilemma from then on. If they told the truth to the gentry that the one who conquered Anqing was the People's Party, and the Yuewang Society played no role in it at all, the gentry simply wouldn't believe it. They had never heard of the organization People's Party. And why would the People's Party retreat immediately after conquering Anqing and give Anqing to the Yuewang Society for nothing? There was no such reason under heaven.

But regarding the matter of female students, the Yuewang Society indeed took the blame [scapegoat].

To solve this matter, the Yuewang Society had to send Shi Dekuan to the People's Party's territory to ask for people. Of course, as a picket, Shi Dekuan had always been strict with discipline and offended the secret society leaders very much. Sending Shi Dekuan away was also a consideration.