Chapter 52: The Fall of Jinling City

A soldier of the river defense army was in urgent need to urinate, and walked to the edge of the parapet to relieve himself.
His comrades laughed and scolded him, "Go further, do you think we are not disgusted enough?"
The soldier laughed and said, "I'll just add some flavor for you..."
He suddenly paused, pointing down the city wall, and stammered, "Iron... Iron Blood... Iron Blood Army!"
The soldiers from the surrounding guard posts suddenly dispersed and surrounded the two guards, their rifles resting on their shoulders.
A crisp click sound of gun bolts made the movements of the Jiang defense army freeze, and then they saw the officer leading the squad change his expression: "Don't move! Everyone is fine!"
The unfortunate soldier was also dragged back by two people, with wet pants.
An officer of the river defense army wanted to establish a friendship and said, "What kind of joke are you making, Brother Bai?"
The officer known as Bai Ke calmly took out a white towel and wrapped it around his arm, saying, "Sorry! Now, brothers, we are also soldiers of the Iron Blood Military!"
The iron gate of Shuiguan slowly lifted up, and dozens of the most common lotus boats in the Jiangnan region, filled with soldiers wearing bright yellow attire, slid in two columns.
Wang Yangming stood on the front boat and couldn't resist touching the ancient city wall with a history of over five hundred years as he passed through the gate.
“金陵城！果然是老子第一个打进来的！虽然这个“打”字，是有些勉强！”
白客早神气活现的站在水关码头上等着他，王阳明看到了他胳膊上的白毛巾，却不理他伸过来扶他下船的双手，自己一步跳了上去。
Command the troops of two battalions to quickly land ashore and rapidly scatter into formation. He was sweating profusely, as if he was back in the night when they recaptured the Hanjiang city. Now, all that mattered was speed!
那白客队官觉得很尴尬，低声令让自己的兵士在前面带路，配合铁血军抢占要点。
王阳明这才看了他一眼，拍拍他的肩膀：“白队官？你大有功劳！”
Without waiting for the hacker to bow and apologize, he led the team and rushed out.
The hacker hurriedly followed suit, cursing the foolish captain in his heart: "If I had joined the party earlier, would I still need you, kid?"
The sound of gunfire finally echoed in the ancient city of Jinling, quickly converging into a cacophony.
The ancient city of Jinling was completely disturbed, with gunfire first erupting loudly in the west of the city, and then doubling in intensity in the north of the city.
Immediately, the flames also started to burn, and the clamor of the citizens' cries mixed in together. In the trembling of the last night of Jinling City, it awaited rebirth.
The soldiers wrongly accused Zhang Da Bianzi, but he now has no mood to show off his authority on the young lady! He has been half asleep and half awake on the marching bed in the study, with his mind full of lawsuits.
Upon hearing the gunshot, he reacted almost immediately, quickly sitting up in bed. A mutiny? That was his initial thought.
He yelled out, "Someone! Help!"
A few constables and officers of his personal escort rushed in. It seemed like no one had slept well for the past few nights.
Zhang Dabian asked someone to help him organize his clothes: "Take my orders and suppress the trouble. Find out which camp is causing the disturbance. Send two sentries to protect the government office. Strengthen the defenses in all directions and don't let the rebel party take advantage of the chaos to attack the city!"
The subordinates panicked and set off in all directions to carry out the orders. Zhang Big Braid, still worried, gathered his personal guard and prepared to patrol the city on horseback, personally quelling the chaos.
The sound of gunfire grew louder and was accompanied by the sound of explosions. Zhang Dabian was starting to realize that something was wrong, when several subordinates came running in, scrambling and crawling.
"General, the Hui Society has entered the city! Machine guns have been set up on the Drum Tower!"
It was truly thunder out of a clear sky. Zhang Dabian's long braid shook violently on level ground, and his face instantly turned pale.
There was no movement at all on all sides of the city walls. How did these secret society members enter the city?
Immediately flee? Die for the court? Various thoughts flooded the stubborn adult's mind.
Finally, he couldn't help asking, "How did they enter the city?"
A subordinate reported with a crying voice: "The law enforcement guards have betrayed us. I saw their deputy squad leader, Bai Ke, even running ahead. That bastard has even cut off his braid!"
Zhang Bianzi, if he still refuses to speak, I will mount my horse and lead the team to the supervision office. He hasn't even realized yet that it was Zhang Renjun who let the party into the city. He is still trying to seek help from the governor in a last-ditch effort.
In the night sky of Jinling city, occasional flashes of gunfire light up the darkness, and the streets are chaotic with bewildered soldiers of the Jiang Defense Army. There are also many people taking advantage of the chaos to commit robbery, throwing away their weapons and plundering everywhere.
Zhang Da Bianzi's face darkened, and he led his own guards galloping towards the Liangjiang Inspectorate on Yangtze River Road.
At this time, both the west and south of the city were completely chaotic.
As they neared the Inspectorate, they saw that the sentinels who were previously sent to guard the Inspectorate had already retreated one after another.
Police guards left behind were suddenly fired upon when they approached, and white towels were tied around the arms of those soldiers!
Now Zhang Da Bianzi understood everything. That old man, Zhang Renjun, has also joined the Communist Party!
He crazily squeezed the horse's belly, leading hundreds of soldiers and charging straight towards the gate of the government office, only to turn at the street corner.
The machine guns mounted on the walls of the government office opened fire, instantly knocking down Zhang's horse with long braids. Several soldiers risked their lives to drag him back.
On his face there was already a large bruise, and he was full of anger as he shouted loudly at the street corner: "Zhang Renjun, you have received great kindness from the country, but in your old age you have turned to thievery. Do you have the face to meet your ancestors?"
The answer to him was a string of machine gun bullets, firing bursts of sparks on the bluestone pavement.
A few bodyguards desperately dragged Zhang Daben backwards, loudly advising him, "Commander, the Hui party is gradually retreating to the north of the city. It's a lost cause here. Take advantage while the north is still under our control, and flee from there! Return to Huai Bei, regroup with the old troops, that's all!"
Zhang Dabianzi's eyes turned red as he struggled desperately, shouting, "Even if I die, I will die in the city of Jinling!"
The bodyguards ignored his cries and lifted him onto a horse, giving him a whip! More than a hundred cavalrymen sandwiched Zhang Dabianzi and fled towards the North Gate of the city.
Zhang Dabianzi turned his head and looked at the scattered bullets flying across the city, finally accepting the fact and lowered his head, the court is really finished!
After a night of chaos, when dawn was approaching, the Iron Blood Army had completely gained control of Jinling City.
The Jiang Defense Army failed to organize effective resistance and was surrounded and disarmed.
The White Hacker exerted great efforts inside, running back and forth, taking advantage of familiar faces, and persuading surrender.
The soldiers of the Iron Blood Army also know that this commander is most interested in wealth. The treasuries, Jinling customs, Dao Yamen, Yali Bureau, salt sealing bureau, salt sealing official silver store, mint, copper coin bureau, etc., have all been heavily guarded, and every single penny is closely watched.
However, in the early morning, when the city was still closed, the defending artillery bombarded the entire city during the demonstration, and only then did they open the city gates to surrender, while General Tieshan of Jiangning had long disappeared.
On that night, both the garrison and the southern army noticed that something was wrong with Jinling City and quickly gathered their troops to launch an attack inside the city.
However, the soldiers of the Jiang Defense Army in front of them fought back fiercely! They tried to enter the city from Wangfeng's side, but were blocked firmly by the sentry line of the Ironblood Army.
It was not until near dawn that the defending soldiers of the Jiang Defense Army in other directions realized that the situation was hopeless and surrendered to both sides.
At this time, the wealth of Jinling City had long fallen into Wang Feng's hands.
Xu Minghao and Zhu Rui of the Southern Army and others could only sigh in frustration. They had worked hard to organize a joint army, but both the credit and benefits were taken by Wang Feng.
If he wants to become the Governor of Jinling, who can stop him?
At this moment, Wang Feng didn't care about what others thought, nor did he care that Zhang Renjun was waiting for him in the supervisory office with the defense register.
From around two or three in the early morning, when the city was just established, he led his men and supply camp into the city.
Without caring about the bullets flying and the fleeing of the routed soldiers, he went to several places with stored goods to take inventory.
Jinling City Treasury has a stock of 2.9 million taels of silver, while the Jianghai Customs has 140,000 taels, and other places have a total of 1.3 million taels.
Wang Feng waved his hand and said, "Leave 200,000 taels here, and move all the rest!"
He didn't want to contribute his accumulation to the upcoming short-lived interim government.
December 4th, the liberation of Jinling City.
On the front line of the Yangtze River, the overall situation in the southern part of Daqian has been determined. Governor Zhang Renjun was captured, and Zhang Dabianzi and Tieshan escaped with the guards by detouring upstream.
The Jiangfang Army battalion fleeing towards Jiangmen was disarmed! In this battle, the Nanjing garrison of more than 20,000 soldiers was annihilated (with 20,000 prisoners captured), while the iron-blooded army suffered less than 100 casualties.
With drums and trumpets, colorful flags flying, there are crowds of people...
Wearing brand-new yellow woolen military uniforms adorned with gold threads, and wearing broad-brimmed military caps with gold edges, the military band took the lead and slowly entered the city through the Gate of China.
Behind them is a neat square formation of troops, with the first battalion being Iron Blood Army, 1st Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 1st Company. The newly reinforced 1st Company is marching proudly on the road, overcoming challenges and reclaiming their glory in the City of Fame.
The first brigade received the flag of "Jinling City Brigade" personally awarded by Wang Feng. This flag flies at the forefront of the entire Iron Blood Army, alongside the flag of "Iron Blood Vanguard".
Wang Feng, accompanied by his staff, rode on horseback behind the third battalion and first company. He deliberately wore a simple and calm yellow military uniform without any medals, constantly saluting and paying respect to the welcoming crowd.
A group of young officers gathers around him, like a painting from the period of liberation, under the winter sun. Young spirited horses, crisp military uniforms, and a vibrant energy, nothing is lacking.
Under the flickering of the strobe light, the young and energetic figure of Wang Feng was captured.
In fact, Wang Feng also knew that the Communist Party would never let him be the governor of Jinling City. Many senior members of the Party would not agree. They would definitely appoint their own people to take on this role, including Mr. Sun, Chen Ying, or Hu Han San.
li>The Hui Party has already lost, and they have been losing control over their army in the entire southern region. Only in the city of Jinling do they still have such an army. If they don't fight for it now, the Hui Party will no longer have the ability to lead Daqian. In future elections, they will surely be defeated.
So when Wang Feng travels, the more high-profile he is, the better. This is his capital, and he must strive to get more and more of it. The more he gets, the safer he will be.
If he is influential enough, the Party will not assassinate him secretly. The greater his prestige, the more cautious the Party will be internally, and naturally they will not kill him. Thus, he will be safer.
"Different paths do not converge in planning!" Wang Feng, who knew the truth, had already seen all of this.
Next, he would need to conceal his identity, be as low-key as possible, and make the party never notice him again, even if he became an invisible person.
Wang Feng can completely rely on this kind of hiding to achieve all his future goals, and try to control the military in his hands as much as possible, waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback. The moment he makes a comeback will be when the world turns upside down.
Now he is like accumulating strength, he wants to train a good army, master a good source of wealth, expand the production of military factories, and when the opportunity comes, he will surely make the entire Daqian change color.