In Beiyang, Sun Yongying was an insignificant small character compared to Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui. However, he was outside the cage and still had personal freedom. These two high officials were inside the cage. Sun Yongying felt great in his heart, but at the same time had a strong sense of unease. If he swapped places with the two inside the cage, Yuan Shikai would absolutely not bother to rescue him.

Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui didn't care what this small character in front of them thought. Sun Yongying appearing here by Yuan Shikai's order proved everything. The two expressed that they had failed Yuan Shikai's deep love.

Sun Yongying hurriedly relayed Yuan Shikai's words: "Gentlemen, this time it was the Ministry of Army that was incompetent. Lord Yuan believes you two have done your best."

For high officials, stopping at the point was enough; this sentence already thoroughly explained Yuan Shikai's coping strategy. The three-pronged attack was planned by the Ministry of Army. Before the Third Town moved out, the Hubei New Army retreated to Wuhan after a great defeat, and the Jiangnan New Army ran to the south bank of the Yangtze River on their own. The pre-war strategy had long been unrecognizable. The Beiyang clique would absolutely refuse to carry this black pot and bear the responsibility for the defeat. The expressions of Wang Shizhen and Duan Qirui immediately showed that the two understood the meaning in Yuan Shikai's words. After exchanging information, Sun Yongying left the cell.

The next day Sun Yongying asked to see Chen Ke but was told Chairman Chen Ke had official duties now. Sun Yongying had to return to the residence where he was under house arrest. He guessed whether Chen Ke was reviewing the troops at this time, or drinking and making merry with the officers of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army at the celebration banquet? Sun Yongying didn't expect that Chen Ke was currently in the prison.

"Chairman Qi, how did the talk go?" Chen Ke and Qi Huishen sat in the prison office exchanging intelligence.

"After the parade yesterday, this group's attitude changed very quickly. I talked all night, and they all expressed agreement." Qi Huishen said while rubbing his red eyes. There was a very special square formation in the spectator crowd of the victory celebration. This group of people looked withered one by one; one look and you knew they had suffered a lot. The People's Party broke almost all fortified villages in the base area; these people were the owners of the fortified villages. A few months ago, a secret society in Wuhe County tried to attack the local government under the banner of "rescuing fortified village folks" and was caught in one net. More than eight hundred counter-revolutionaries were executed from top to bottom, which counted as a major event. Since then, no local secret society was willing to test the law with their own bodies.

However, Chen Ke never found a reason to kill all the captured fortified village landlords. The land of this group of landlords had been distributed by the local grassroots government, and no heroes of the *Jianghu* came to try to rescue these former local powerful figures. Since the People's Party arrived in the base area, landlords with blood debts were also dragged out for public trial and execution. Although the remaining few hundred people must have committed evil deeds before, the People's Party hadn't arrived in the base area at that time; the retrospective period had passed. Really killing them all along with their families—there was no such radical view within the Party, and Chen Ke himself hadn't sorted out a reason for such a massacre.

So Chen Ke first let them watch the victory celebration. In the celebration, this group of former powerful figures was trembling with fear. They themselves had many connections with the Beiyang Army. Some people even recognized some Beiyang officers in the captive ranks. These people had been locked up for a year and didn't have much courage to begin with. They occasionally fantasized that the court's government army could fight back to save them. After the court's government army fought back, they also became captives of the People's Party. The cruel fact completely crushed the will of this group.

Qi Huishen talked to them, asking them to write a document handing over land to the government. The former powerful figures were all ashen-faced. Those with backbone simply wrote it obediently without a second word, and after writing, asked Qi Huishen to give them a quick death. Those without backbone immediately knelt on the ground and began to beg for mercy; they expressed willingness to hand over land, but only begged for their lives.

It wasn't that there were no diehards; only two people refused to write even unto death. They declared: writing is death, not writing is also death. So they would rather die than write. Qi Huishen told these two that after writing the document of "voluntarily donating land to the government," not only would they not be killed, but land would also be distributed to them according to regulations. As long as they lived law-abidingly in the future, the government would protect their legitimate rights and interests. These two didn't believe it at first. After Qi Huishen guaranteed to them that the government wouldn't deceive them, these two also obediently wrote the document.

"Chairman Chen, really release these people?" Qi Huishen asked. He knew Chen Ke was originally prepared to kill this group completely.

Chen Ke nodded. "Give them another chance. If we just kill them like this, I'm afraid the common people will misunderstand that we don't let property owners go. Although I can't be sure what impact doing this will have in the future, human heads aren't chives after all; they won't grow back after being cut. Public execution is one thing; indiscriminate killing is another."

Although Qi Huishen knew this group would definitely make trouble as long as there was a chance, he agreed with Chen Ke's idea very much. It wasn't that Qi Huishen opposed killing counter-revolutionaries, but this method of killing indeed didn't have a rigorous explanation. The Internal Affairs Committee held the authority to eliminate counter-revolutionaries; it could be said to be an extremely powerful department. Precisely because he held such great power, Qi Huishen understood that standards couldn't be set randomly. Especially in terms of liquidating the old era and old system, if the standard wasn't set right, then really everyone in the world could be killed. Instead of tangling in this aspect, it was better to put down the burden of the old era and fully strike at the counter-revolutionaries appearing after the promotion of the new system.

Seeing Qi Huishen didn't refuse, Chen Ke stood up and said: "Since they all signed, then I'll give them a speech, and we'll release people."

When the former powerful figures were gathered together, their hearts were all uneasy. After signing the document, they knew they already had nothing. Of course, they actually knew their own land had been distributed long ago, but signing the document meant their own abandonment; this symbolic meaning was still quite significant. Before signing the document, they could feel they were martyrs; after signing, the desire to survive became exceptionally strong.

When learning that the People's Party Chairman, that is, the current local emperor of the base area, Chen Ke, was standing on the platform in front of them, these landlords felt even more uneasy in their hearts. A single sentence from Chen Ke could completely decide their life and death, and no one could make Chen Ke change his mind again.

Chen Ke's sharp gaze swept over these people once before he opened his mouth and said: "Gentlemen, you are about to be released immediately. Before releasing everyone, I want to talk to everyone."

A slight commotion erupted in the crowd below. Chen Ke said he wanted to release them; this shouldn't be fake. But Chen Ke wanting to talk to them, presumably he wanted to extort them fiercely. Looks of joy and pain flashed alternately on these people's faces, but finally, the look of joy gained the upper hand.

Seeing it was quieter below, Chen Ke continued: "Gentlemen, the new government adopts a state-owned land system. This land doesn't belong to me, doesn't belong to the People's Party, but belongs to the People's Government. Those willing to farm, whether men or women, old or young, can be allocated three *mu* of land per person. They have the usage rights of this land. So after gentlemen go back, if you are willing to farm, then you can apply for land. Our new government won't make things difficult for everyone."

The landlords below looked at Chen Ke with surprised expressions. This news completely exceeded the imagination of this group. It wasn't about how much three *mu* per person was—which of these people hadn't once sat on thousands of *mu* of fertile fields? This policy showed that the new government didn't intend to kill these people to the last one. This was incomprehensible instead.

"In addition, I don't know if everyone noticed, what we asked everyone to sign was a document handing over land. Your shops, whether in the countryside or in the city, we didn't confiscate. We want land. Land is state-owned, so no one is allowed to have land ownership. In the new government from top to bottom, no one has land permanently belonging to their name that can be inherited by children after death."

"Mr. Chen, you mean, our family's shops still belong to us? We can still operate?" A landlord asked with a trembling voice.

"Correct. However, during the flood, some shops were damaged. I can only guarantee that our People's Party didn't go to destroy them. But our new government cannot be responsible for compensating you for these property damages." Since Chen Ke said the former part, he thought it necessary to clarify things, lest this group go out holding unrealistic ideas and then suffer a blow. That would weaken the People's Party's goodwill instead.

These former powerful figures could understand Chen Ke's meaning. Actually, that Chen Ke could claim not to confiscate the businesses they operated was already greatly beyond these people's expectations.

"In addition, gentlemen were all caught here because you resisted our army. So there isn't much floating wealth left in your homes either. I also have to explain this point to everyone. After gentlemen go back, I personally hope everyone can concentrate on labor. Now our Anhui government develops production and invigorates the economy. As long as gentlemen put down past grudges and work hard, this life can definitely get better quickly. I can guarantee this point to gentlemen. If gentlemen feel unconvinced and insist on distinguishing high and low with us, then I suggest gentlemen can leave our base area and throw yourselves to the Manchu Qing; we will absolutely not stop you. I want to tell everyone in advance, if you stay in the base area to live but act as insiders for the Manchu Qing, then all will be beheaded. Where to go depends on gentlemen's own choice. After everyone finishes eating in a while, we will send people to send everyone back to your hometowns. Let's disperse."

"Chairman Chen, please wait a moment." Someone shouted. Everyone's eyes fell on that person. Chen Ke didn't know this person; he only saw he was over forty years old, looking quite capable. He shouted loudly: "Chairman Chen, I am convinced by the People's Party. I want to sell my life for the People's Party. I wonder if I can join under Chairman Chen's command."

Hearing this, the faces of quite a few landlords were twitching. Someone changing allegiance so quickly was really greatly beyond everyone's expectation.

Not only the landlords, but the surrounding soldiers and staff of the Internal Affairs Committee also changed their expressions. Chen Ke laughed: "The new system promoted by our People's Party is a system that allows everyone to obtain a better life through their own labor. We guarantee the people's right to obtain the fruits of their reasonable labor, so we don't need people to sell their lives. If you sell your life to us, we can't afford this life-selling money. If you want to follow us, then rely on your own hands to work hard, cooperate well with the common people, and live a better life together. If you live such a life, that is truly following us. To us, human life is of vital importance; we cherish every commoner's life. We don't buy anyone's life."

After speaking, Chen Ke waved his hand, signaling the staff to take these people away. Chen Ke himself turned and left without looking back.