xymnovel Chapter 28 The Intricate Current Situation
Chapter 28 The Intricate Current Situation
After dinner.
Lu Xingzhou refused to be accompanied by Chuanwu and Ni Yang, and rode alone towards Zhengjiatun.
Sanjiangshui led about ten people in three large carts loaded with homemade guns, valuables, mountain winds, and four tiger heads, heading towards Changtu County.
With no one following, after leaving the enclosure, Lu Xingzhou slowly released the Origin Qi of Heaven and Earth towards the Jinzhou horse.
I didn't dare release too much at once, I only enhanced the Golden State Horse's stamina attribute by 25% to prevent this horse from becoming a "giant horse".
The quality of the Qi of Heaven and Earth is constant, but when the quantity increases, it will cause a qualitative change.
Otters are small and can only withstand a limited amount of source energy. Even if they release all the source energy they can withstand at once, it will not immediately manifest itself.
After several days of digestion, the only improvements are increased muscle strength and intelligence. The only difference in appearance between them and ordinary otters is the sharp, metallic-looking claws on their paws.
Unlike large animals like cattle and horses.
Lu Xingzhou had tried it in the United States, releasing 55 times more primordial energy than he had used to modify otters into a Quarter Horse in one go.
Within two days, that horse grew into a monster even taller than a Shire horse. The actual test data also gave Lu Xingzhou the confidence that he could hold his own on the battlefield in the first half of the 20th century without vigorously developing the automobile industry.
He was then euthanized by Lu Xingzhou, who endured the pain.
Although organisms that have undergone one-time modification do not have their genes adjusted, the probability of their offspring being heritable through natural reproduction is not high.
If Lu Xingzhou stayed in the United States, and they were to actually pull off a genetic lottery, he would suffer a huge loss.
The Jinzhou horse, after being enhanced with 25% endurance, has no change in appearance, but its long-distance off-road capability is no less than that of the small Mongolian horse, which is known for its endurance.
The horse beneath him neighed excitedly and galloped off at full speed.
Because of its increased intimacy with Lu Xingzhou, it will actively adjust its posture to avoid too much jolting while running, making it a super excellent warhorse.
Therefore, the land-based boat, which traveled 120 li, arrived at Zhengjiatun ahead of the Sanjiangshui group, which only traveled 90 li to Changtu County.
During the Ming Dynasty, this area was still a vast grassland.
Now, more than 200 years later, this place has become a bustling market town connecting Mongolia and Han China in the Guandong region.
Although it is named Tun, it is actually a town with a permanent population of nearly 2, which is a result of the unique naming "talent" of Northeasterners. Otherwise, the South Manchuria Railway would not have regarded it as an important node.
Springtime is a time of renewal and prosperity for all things, and commercial activities also flourish. Even Japanese businessmen who come here have to put on a smiling face, because harmony brings wealth.
Merchants from both inside and outside the Great Wall, from Outer Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, and from Japan and Russia gathered here at the "Trading Street" to discuss business, creating a lively scene.
Lu Xingzhou rode his horse through the crowded market and caught a glimpse of a strange group of Japanese men dressed as ronin following two Mongolians with "three-pronged" hairstyles, selling their wares (watching the spectacle) and occasionally gathering together to chat and laugh.
He muttered to himself, "This is supposed to be harmonious? Is it some kind of global unity?"
Upon arriving at Wu Junsheng's residence, they found the tall man with the big head coming out to run some business.
Upon seeing this young master who had left a deep impression on him, the tall man exclaimed with delight, "Young Master! The handsome young master was just talking about you the other day, please come in!"
The guards at the gate didn't recognize him, so he introduced him: "This is the Marshal's nephew, Young Master Lu Xingzhou!"
The guards greeted him, "Greetings, Young Master Lu!"
Although the Wu family also had a three-courtyard house, its land area was incomparable to that of the Yu family.
After entering the courtyard and passing through the hanging flower gate, you will arrive at the main hall.
As luck would have it, Yu Wendou was also there.
Seeing Lu Xingzhou enter the house, his eyes lit up: "Young Lu, you're here?"
"Uncle Yu, Uncle Wu, more than a month has passed, how could I not come to the village to see you two?!"
Even blood relatives can grow distant if they don't visit each other often. Of course, Lu Xingzhou wouldn't be lacking in courtesy to these "real" relatives he had temporarily recognized.
Wu Junsheng was pleased to see that he had adopted the local custom of wearing a short-sleeved mandarin jacket, which made him look just as dashing but more down-to-earth.
Nowadays in the Guandong region, people with yellow faces wearing Western suits are generally Japanese; long gowns and short jackets are the proper attire for Han Chinese.
"Hey buddy, that outfit's pretty good, you look like one of us locals now! Hahahaha~!"
"But I'm a local, aren't I?"
Lu Xingzhou responded with a smile, which made Yu and Wu burst into laughter.
Wu Junsheng inquired about his recent situation, and Lu Xingzhou told him about farming and the beard-scratching he'd been doing the past few days.
Grandpa Yu looked solemn, while Wu Junsheng, an old soldier, was only concerned with some details.
I wasn't particularly shocked to hear that he single-handedly took down dozens of bearded men under the cover of night.
At Wu Junsheng's level, although he still admires heroic young men and appreciates martial artists with outstanding skills, he no longer highly values individual martial prowess.
Even someone as powerful as Gong Yutian, who was renowned throughout the martial arts world, could be reduced to a pile of mud if he truly offended Wu Junsheng. Wu Junsheng could send out 500 cavalrymen to charge and turn him into a pile of mud.
He simply patted Lu Xingzhou on the shoulder repeatedly, praising him:
"The old man was right about you! Fengtian has gained another hero!"
The businessman, Mr. Yu, was terrified. Seeing that the two men both seemed so carefree, he could only force a smile.
After a brief chat, Wu Junsheng, who didn't treat Lu Xingzhou like an outsider, brought up the conversation he had with Yu Wendou earlier.
"Brother, this time I'm going to Hailar to fight the rebels, and I might even run into the Rakshasa people there. To avoid losing everything, don't throw any money into your land in Hulunbuir this year. Even if you can farm it, you might not be able to harvest anything."
"Is it that serious?"
Yu Wendou recalled what Lu Xingzhou had said back then, and it had come true so quickly. He glanced at him, seemingly casually.
Unable to elaborate on the military details, Wu Junsheng could only say, "This matter concerns the Hulunbuir rebellion, which is more serious than previous disturbances and cannot be resolved peacefully."
Lu Xingzhou asked, puzzled, "What's going on? The Russians are involved in a rebellion in Hulunbuir? What does that have to do with anything?"
Master Wu can explain this background.
"Ever since Outer Mongolia successfully gained independence last year, the princes and stewards in Hulunbuir have been causing trouble. They even staged a rebellion in January, which we and Yuting managed to quell."
"Just when it seemed we were about to be completely annihilated, Minister Luo Sha came forward and threatened Yu Ting and me not to fire the cannons, because if we injured their pioneering group, they would retaliate against us militarily."
"We knew that the Russians were illegally encroaching on our land, which was against their rights, but the situation was beyond our control, so we could only endure it and miss the opportunity to wipe out the rebels."
"After we withdrew our troops, the Russians became increasingly arrogant and repeatedly provoked us. In February, the local troops in Heilongjiang could no longer tolerate it and retaliated, killing one Russian officer and four soldiers."
"The Russian government immediately seized the opportunity, sending troops to occupy Hulunbuir, and even helping Shengfu and his ilk establish a puppet government!"
As mentioned earlier, Heilongjiang is now sparsely populated and its modern military strength is no match for the Fengtian Army, let alone the powerful Luosha Kingdom.
"The most important thing I'm going to do in Fengtian this time is to have Yutingcai negotiate with the Japanese and have them deal with the Russian government, ensuring they don't side with either us or Shengfu. Then I'll take the opportunity to lead my troops and destroy Shengfu's puppet government!"
Wu Junsheng was greedy for money and loved horses. His methods of accumulating wealth were comparable to those of the Marshal Zhang, whom he admired. However, his stance on safeguarding national sovereignty was never ambiguous.
After listening, Lu Xingzhou had no expectations for his goal.
"Sir, let's put aside why the Japanese should help us reclaim our land. Just considering the relationship between Japan and Russia, it's unlikely they'd even sit down and have a proper talk. I don't think the Russians will listen to the Japanese."
Russians have never been generous.
In the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Tsarist Russia was utterly defeated by the Japanese. How long has it been since that grudge was formed?
Have they forgotten?
Wu Junsheng shook his head: "Hey~ you don't understand, the Japanese are strong and well-equipped now, the Rakshasa people definitely have to give them face!"
Zhang Zuolin had already told him that the Japanese had agreed to mediate; otherwise, Wu Junsheng wouldn't have abandoned his duties and run back to Zhengjiatun simply because he disliked Zhang Xiluan.
Lu Xingzhou and Yu Wendou exchanged glances and both realized something was amiss.
If the Russians were truly persuaded by the Japanese, there's likely some unspeakable conspiracy at play!
However, neither of them were soldiers and they couldn't explain what the conspiracy was. Continuing the topic would be seen as obstructing military affairs, so they had to stop the conversation.
Moreover, the current situation in the Kanto region is extremely complex.
Between Japan, Russia, Manchuria, Mongolia, and various warlords, there was collusion and conflict. It was impossible to explain in a few words who was friends and who was enemies.
Compared to the grand scheme of things, Lu Xingzhou's feat of killing dozens of bearded men is insignificant.
After discussing these matters, they talked for a while about the control of the plague. Suddenly, Wu Junsheng slapped the back of his head and asked Lu Xingzhou for a favor:
"Xinmin's sixth son wrote to say that his mother, your Aunt Chungui, is sick. I have to go to Hulunbuir and can't get away for a while. I should have asked your second aunt to go see her, but she's three months pregnant, which is a dangerous time and she can't travel. If you have some free time, please go see her for me!"