The meeting attendance of the Guangfu Society was very regular, imitating the model of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness of mountain kings. Tao Chengzhang was in the center, with various cadres arranged in order of status on both sides. This had already become the accustomed seating model of the Guangfu Society.

"Mr. Tao, there are Hangzhou gentry wanting to give Zeng Yun a lavish burial again," a cadre in the Guangfu Society said. Hearing this, almost all Guangfu Society cadres showed impatient expressions on their faces.

Zhejiang Governor Zeng Yun's official reputation wasn't bad. If not for his stubborn resistance in Hangzhou, judging by his previous performance, he couldn't be called severe towards the revolutionary party. Such a high Manchu Qing official died in the Battle of Hangzhou; the attitude of the local gentry in Hangzhou naturally couldn't be called rejoicing. The call asking the revolutionary party to give Zeng Yun a lavish burial had never stopped among the Hangzhou gentry. The gentry even expressed that if the Guangfu Society wasn't willing to give a lavish burial, the gentry could pay for it.

Tao Chengzhang naturally saw through the political tricks in this. The dead are the greatest; giving Zeng Yun a lavish burial didn't violate custom. Even if the Guangfu Society was in power, they couldn't pick any fault. However, the deeper purpose of this group of gentry was to win a reputation by giving Zeng Yun a lavish burial. If the Guangfu Society was driven away by the Manchu Qing, they could naturally seek their own safety by participating in giving Zeng Yun a lavish burial. At least when the gentry defended themselves saying "I am not in the same group as the Guangfu Society," it could be considered justified.

"This bunch really knows how to seek personal gain!" Most Guangfu Society cadres came from landlord and gentry backgrounds, so they knew the gentry's thoughts clearly. "Mr. Tao, should we catch a few diehard Manchu Qing running dogs and kill one to warn a hundred?"

The idea of killing one to warn a hundred was still quite attractive to Tao Chengzhang, but he was the leader of the Guangfu Society after all, so naturally, he couldn't be so reckless. Tao Chengzhang persuaded: "It is human nature for them to have such thoughts in their hearts. There is still the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the Jiangnan New Army in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; they naturally have thoughts. As long as we can break Nanjing, these people will no longer have extra thoughts."

This was the recent strategy of the Guangfu Society. After capturing Hangzhou, the only organized enemies left were the Jiangnan New Army in Nanjing, and the Qing troops in Shanghai and Fujian. The Fujian Qing troops didn't dare to move at all, so they weren't a big problem temporarily. The movements of the Shanghai Qing troops were unclear instead; the Guangfu Society tried their best to inquire about the situation. And the biggest and most dangerous enemy before the Guangfu Society was undoubtedly the Jiangnan New Army in Nanjing. Nanjing wasn't far from Hangzhou. In the current situation, Nanjing was sandwiched between two major revolutionary forces, the Guangfu Society and the People's Party. It was the last stronghold of the Manchu Qing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Once Nanjing was captured, the Guangfu Society and the People's Party would be connected. The People's Party blocked the Manchu Qing forces in the north and west, and the Guangfu Society could concentrate on dealing with the east and south. The whole situation could be said to be suddenly open and clear.

"Our Guangfu Society must take Nanjing!" A young and energetic cadre in the Guangfu Society said almost gritting his teeth. This kind of strategic analysis wasn't hard to do. Checking against the map the People's Party supported to the Guangfu Society, one could see the situation clearly. Nanjing city was like a fat sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves, extremely eye-catching.

There were also relatively mature and prudent ones in the Guangfu Society. These cadres advised: "To attack Nanjing, I'm afraid our military strength is insufficient. Now we must let Guangfu Society comrades from various places bring troops to gather in Hangzhou as soon as possible. Attack Nanjing together."

Tao Chengzhang nodded after hearing this. "Grain, pay, and weapons; these must be prepared first. Let comrades from various places bring troops here as soon as possible. As long as we take Nanjing, neither grain, pay, nor money will be a problem. The most important thing is that seeing the Manchu Qing is unable to withstand a single blow, the hearts of the people will also turn to us."

Guangfu Society cadres nodded one after another. Tao Chengzhang's words represented their recent consensus. Neither local gentry nor common people showed clear intention to support the Guangfu Society. Although these people had various hostilities towards the People's Party, they all believed that the People's Party possessing current strength and influence was completely built on the basis of a series of military victories.

"Mr. Tao, did the People's Party medical team say they want to leave?" A cadre asked.

Hearing this question, Tao Chengzhang's face sank. "Yes. Mr. Huang leading them said since they have finished treating the wounded soldiers, they will leave tomorrow."

Hearing this news, the expressions of the Guangfu Society cadres changed from united to widely different. Some said anxiously: "Mr. Tao, since we are about to attack Nanjing immediately, the military doctors in our hands are indeed not good enough."

Tao Chengzhang's face became even gloomier. Of course he knew the Guangfu Society's military doctors were indeed not good enough. To save the lives of Guangfu Society comrades including Qiu Jin, Tao Chengzhang, who was quite reserved in his bones, really asked Chen Ke for help with a sincere attitude. Chen Ke also sent a medical team very briskly. This matter was considered running well up to this stage.

The performance of the People's Party medical team, in Tao Chengzhang's view, was dedicated. As soon as they arrived in Hangzhou, without even saying rest, they immediately began to set up the medical room, classifying the injured Guangfu Army officers and soldiers into treatment levels according to their injuries. Giving treatment according to different treatment levels.

"I want to ask everyone what your views are on this matter." The emotion contained in Tao Chengzhang's voice wasn't "unhappy," but "very unhappy."

The Guangfu Society cadres either lowered their heads or turned their faces away to avoid Tao Chengzhang's stern gaze.

"We invited people here. You treated them like this." There was uncontrollable anger in Tao Chengzhang's voice. "I ask you, if you went to the People's Party and were treated like the gentlemen of the medical team, and the People's Party treated you like you treated them, what would you think?"

The atmosphere in the conference hall became more and more awkward with Tao Chengzhang's questioning.

Seeing the comrades didn't make a sound, Tao Chengzhang continued: "I originally thought of treating the gentlemen of the medical team well, so when we attack Nanjing, we wouldn't have to wait until after the war to invite these people again. Instead, we could invite the medical team to follow us to attack Nanjing together. Think about what you did; how do you let me open this mouth now!"

While Tao Chengzhang scolded the Guangfu Society comrades angrily, the comrades of the People's Party medical team were also holding a meeting. A total of fifty-two doctors, nurses, and intern students came in the medical team. The troops sent two squads of soldiers as guards. Now the soldiers guarded the outside strictly, and the medical team's internal meeting was also formally convened.

Everyone looked very tired. These comrades couldn't help but be tired; the People's Party medical team had been in Hangzhou for eight days. All military doctors hadn't even taken off their clothes except for changing into surgical gowns. When sleepy, they slept with their clothes on. Besides eating and sleeping, it was treating injuries and saving people; the comrades were exhausted.

"Comrades, I have already told the Guangfu Society that we leave tomorrow." Huang Zhengchun, the temporary political commissar of the medical team, said.

Hearing this news, the comrades below all showed relaxed looks.

Huang Zhengchun also showed a smile. "Hangzhou West Lake is a good place, but I feel under the current situation, everyone doesn't need to visit West Lake specifically. We don't need to look for trouble for ourselves. No matter what the Guangfu Society says, we will definitely set off tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Commissar Huang. Even if the Guangfu Society asks us to stay here, we won't stay. Watching West Lake requires a mood. Seeing the faces of those people in the Guangfu Society, the mood to watch West Lake is completely gone." A comrade below said.

Immediately, comrades expressed agreement. "Correct. If we want to see West Lake, we'll come specifically next time. Besides, when we go back, we'll pass Chaohu Lake. I think Chaohu Lake looks better than West Lake."

All comrades from top to bottom expressed they would obey orders and leave Hangzhou immediately. Including those twenty intern students from Anqing Medical School also stated their position. Although these teenage children looked like they didn't quite dare to express their attitude clearly.

Seeing the children's appearance, Huang Zhengchun couldn't help laughing: "Little comrades, don't be afraid. If you want to see West Lake, just say it. You are children and don't hold grudges. Our adult affairs have nothing to do with you."

After speaking, Huang Zhengchun said: "How about this? We send a squad to escort these little comrades to walk around West Lake. This way, when they return to Anqing, they also have something to tell their parents. What does everyone think?"

People's Party comrades had a natural affection for teenagers. These students were not old; some were just fourteen or fifteen, and the oldest didn't exceed seventeen.

Zhang Yu was never a person who shrank back in work. He knew well that Chen Ke never worried about comrades' work ability being too strong. In Anqing, Zhang Yu could be said to be working freely. The literary atmosphere in Anqing was flourishing, and the local masses valued education. Zhang Yu opened several schools, mainly targeting ordinary common people who couldn't afford school. Especially the medical school; before entering school, one had to sign a ten-year work contract after graduation. Even with such harsh conditions, more than two hundred people signed up for admission in the end. Zhang Yu deliberately set such admission conditions. The nature of the medical school was special; doctors on normal days, military doctors in wartime. If students still had many illusions of returning home to open a clinic after learning medical skills upon admission, that would be irresponsible to the work.

Originally Zhang Yu thought not many local people in Anqing would really sign up, but he was exactly wrong. As a port trading city, Anqing's cognition of modern medicine wasn't bad. Harsh admission conditions and work contracts gave the common people an inexplicable sense of trust instead. If one couldn't learn real skills in this school, this school wouldn't dare to take out such conditions openly.

These teenagers brought out this time were all top students selected from the medical school. In practical work, these children performed very satisfactorily. Although the medical team had a thousand angers towards the Guangfu Society, everyone was unwilling to let these children suffer grievances with them. Soon, a squad of soldiers escorted these children towards the direction of West Lake.

The conflict between the People's Party and the Guangfu Society was comprehensive. If it had to be elevated to the level of principle, this conflict was a conflict between two political concepts. Since a meeting was held for discussion, the medical team might as well explain this matter thoroughly; otherwise, the depression in everyone's heart simply couldn't be completely dissolved.

The medical school students all went out. Huang Zhengchun spoke more directly. "Comrades, I've seen quite a bit of the whole situation. Everyone also told me a lot. My view is simple: these people of the Guangfu Society shout revolution with their mouths, but they just want to overthrow the Manchu Qing. They have no intention of conducting a people's revolution at all. They feel they are masters one by one, nobler than the people. In this point, they are no different from the Manchu Qing."

Members of the medical team were all absolutely trusted by the base area. If untrustworthy people were put in positions that could decide everyone's life and death, who dared to be at ease? Huang Zhengchun was a party member with old qualifications. An "old revolutionary" who followed the People's Party since the Huangpu Book Society period. Before coming to Hangzhou this time, the Political Department specifically sent someone to talk to Huang Zhengchun. At that time, Huang Zhengchun didn't quite understand the People's Party Political Department cadres' evaluation of the Guangfu Society. Now he felt the Party organization's view of the Guangfu Society was completely correct.

The comrades below didn't have such a level of understanding. Although they were also full of anger, the anger and dissatisfaction came more from their own experiences. Far from reaching the height of the political level. Hearing the Political Commissar say this, the comrades couldn't help asking: "Commissar, tell us about it."

Huang Zhengchun made the first judgment without hesitation. "First, the Guangfu Society are not our revolutionary comrades. They turned to any doctor in illness; the Guangfu Society doesn't trust us at all."

In December 1907, there were no "professional medical disturbance makers" (*Yi Nao*) in China yet. The high death rate accustomed to in life allowed the common people to accept the fact of death relatively calmly. Saved, it was the doctor's high level; not saved, it was the patient's bad fate. The people masses generally held this simple idea. Officers and soldiers in the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army wouldn't suspect the military medical department even more. If someone wasn't saved, absolutely no officer or soldier would feel the doctor didn't do their best.

Moreover, Chen Ke never had a good impression of medical disturbances. The base area had long promulgated the "Medical Accident Regulations." Anyone who thought there was a medical problem could appeal to the Medical Management Committee. However, for those causing trouble in the hospital, the regulations clearly stipulated: regardless of whether reasonable or not, detain for seven days first to observe the aftereffect. If you don't trust the hospital, you can choose not to go to the hospital for treatment. Since you arrived at the hospital, it means you handed your life to the doctor. If even this trust relationship couldn't be established, Chen Ke felt there was no need to accept such patients.

So the entire medical department emphasized "revolutionary humanitarian spirit of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying" on one hand, and equally emphasized "must establish a minimum doctor-patient mutual trust relationship" on the other. Doctors were also citizens; there was no reason to order a part of citizens to give unilaterally. This attitude was unscientific.

"Hmph hmph." Some comrades sneered. Other comrades expressed complete agreement with this.

"Second, the Guangfu Society still has the old idea of the Manchu Qing that having power and status means owning everything." Huang Zhengchun's next judgment was extremely severe. In the base area, if someone was labeled with this hat, needless to say, this comrade would definitely be transferred from the post for education.

Doctors, especially Western medicine doctors, all had a very latent consensus: whether you are an emperor, general, minister, scholar, beauty, or beggar, hooligan, monk, Taoist, stripped naked and cut open, there is no physiological difference. The concept that people are born the same, in the eyes of doctors, is just a "repeatedly verified" common sense. Doctors most easily accept the concept that "men are created equal"; this is the scientific attitude that must be adhered to in their professional field. If a doctor feels a patient has high status and their physiological structure will also be different from ordinary people, then this is absolutely harming people rather than treating illness.

The Guangfu Society from top to bottom obviously lacked this concept. The more lower-class the Guangfu Society members were, the more they respected the People's Party medical team instead. This wasn't just respect for life-savers, but also a quite simple and traditional respect for intellectuals. The higher the status of the injured, the stronger the sense of looking down on intellectuals by the power holders. Various things completely contrary to the basic operation mode of the People's Party appeared constantly.

For example, in the People's Party here, battlefield treatment was divided by injury level. If a regiment commander suffered a minor injury, perhaps he could be treated first in the minor injury queue. But no matter how much, a doctor performing major surgery couldn't put down the injured person in hand and run to bandage the regiment commander. This example was a public example widely discussed in the People's Party and troops. The purpose was to distinguish what "fairness" is, and also to distinguish clearly why "absolute egalitarianism" should be opposed.

After arriving at the Guangfu Society, the military doctors of the People's Party naturally acted according to the regulations and concepts of the People's Party. And the Guangfu Society distinguished relationships between people by status rather than by system. The first ones sent in were a group of cadres with relatively high status. These people had been injured for some days; the wounds of those with through-and-through wounds had even begun to heal, and some were just simple abrasions. Even so, learning that Western doctors had come, this group immediately ran over righteously demanding to treat injuries first.

Medical Team Captain Huang Zhengchun was only twenty-eight years old, already an "older" comrade in the base area. He had followed the People's Party since he was in Shanghai. Where had he seen such "unreasonable" people in more than two years? Tao Chengzhang had already clearly handed over the entire military hospital to the People's Party medical team to be responsible. Huang Zhengchun distinguished the treatment order according to injury severity without a second word.

That group of higher-status Guangfu Society cadres didn't know the composition structure of the People's Party medical team at first, so they mistakenly thought those examining and bandaging them were doctors. When they learned these little dolls were just a group of intern students who had attended medical school for less than half a year, the conflict erupted immediately.

In the view of these slightly injured cadres of the Guangfu Society: with my status, at least a few doctors with the highest level should come to see me. Getting some intern students who attended school for half a year, you are treating human life as grass. The People's Party medical team believed: the one responsible for dividing medical levels was the most experienced surgeon in the team. No matter how big the cadres in the base area were, they didn't make a sound when accepting treatment arrangements. Who do you slightly injured Guangfu Society cadres think you are?

Young people all love to be serious. Guangfu Society cadres considered themselves "people with status," while the People's Party medical team completely adhered to the "revolutionary humanitarian spirit of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying." "Status hierarchy" and "mass equality"—these two concepts conflicted fiercely immediately. Fortunately, Tao Chengzhang could hold the fort, and the medical team didn't oppose prioritizing treatment for cadres under equal injury conditions. The first wave of conflict was barely suppressed.

Seeing comrades accepted his view, Huang Zhengchun then made a new judgment on the Guangfu Society. "Third, the Guangfu Society doesn't understand science, doesn't talk about science, and doesn't learn science."

This was a new conflict that erupted after the injury level division, namely the "maggot incident." Chen Ke had read quite a few novels before, which contained cases of using "maggots" to treat infected wounds. This was indeed a treatment method adopted by the British during WWI. The base area lacked antibacterial drugs; regardless of native or foreign, useful methods were used. Medical flies and maggots were sterilely cultivated for more than ten generations; they would absolutely not cause bacterial infection problems. This was already a relatively common method for treating infected trauma in the base area.

How could the bumpkins of the Guangfu Society know such medical problems? When treating those with infected wounds, someone screamed in fear on the spot, immediately alarming the entire wounded camp. Even Tao Chengzhang, learning of this situation, ran over in fear to ask what happened. Even though Tao Chengzhang had met Chen Ke and had basic trust in the People's Party, seeing the densely wriggling white maggots on the red and white pus-filled wounds of the wounded soldiers after infection, Tao Chengzhang's stomach also contracted in waves, and the food in his stomach had a tendency to burst out.

Wanting the Guangfu Society people to accept this treatment method, Tao Chengzhang also felt he didn't know where to start. Fortunately, the Guangfu Society also collected Manchu Qing wounded soldiers. It was quite easy to find some wounded soldiers with infected wounds from among them. Selecting ten Manchu Qing wounded soldiers who could hold the fort, whose infected wounds were scary, and treating them with the maggot method; the originally sickly wounded soldiers showed no signs of worsening injuries, and the wounds scabbed over quickly instead. Tao Chengzhang suppressed it with all his might, plus the injuries of wounded soldiers treated with maggots healed very quickly, so the situation was barely suppressed.

Listening to Huang Zhengchun criticize the Guangfu Society item by item, the mood of the medical team comrades was also much more comfortable. These comrades were also young people. Young people were actually often prone to "stubbornly sticking to reasoning." But if they could be proven completely correct—the medical team were all young male comrades; everyone wasn't that petty. After fiercely criticizing the Guangfu Society, this anger dissipated a lot.

"Commissar Huang. We just won't provoke the Guangfu Society next time; let it go this time." Someone expressed a tolerant attitude. The medical team were doctors after all. As healers, as members of the revolutionary team, they would naturally be angry when encountering unhappy things. Once this anger was dissolved, everyone naturally became tolerant.

Huang Zhengchun was the same as everyone. Although some people in the Guangfu Society did things very unethically, overall, the Guangfu Society was generally cooperative. And there was one thing; these young military doctors and nurses also had a sense of guilt in their hearts. This sense of guilt largely alleviated the medical team's disgust for the Guangfu Society.

One of the hardest injuries to treat on the battlefield was the type where the bullet remained in the body. The bullet went in from one side of the human body and came out from the other side; this was a through-and-through wound. Through-and-through wounds looked large with much bleeding, but as long as no major arteries were broken or damaged, bleeding stopped, and suppuration and infection prevented, it was actually not easy to have accidents. The kind with bullets remaining in the body required surgery to remove the bullet. And heaven knew what dirt the bullet would bring into the human body. Metal warheads remaining in the human body would also cause pathological changes in the body, belonging to extremely difficult to treat. If the bullet left multiple fragments in the human body, it would be even harder to treat.

The field hospital of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army had always followed the troops on the battlefield, and really had no experience dealing with old injuries of more than ten days. For these Guangfu Society wounded soldiers with bullets not removed, some wounds healed on the surface, and some wounds festered. Once cut open, it would very likely lead to bacteria entering the blood vessels, which was fatal.

Tao Chengzhang was a magnanimous person. He knew if not treated in time, it would cause many deaths. So he stated clearly that regardless of whether they could be saved or not, the Guangfu Society would only be grateful for the People's Party's kindness in helping. As a result, the youths of the People's Party medical team really believed it. Although these "silly children" had conflicts with the Guangfu Society, their minds were really full of thoughts of saving people, completely forgetting they were not in the base area at all now. Everyone racked their brains to formulate surgical plans. The chief surgeons even rested for a few more hours before surgery to devote themselves to surgery with full spirit.

As expected, in the two days of surgery, among more than one hundred such severely wounded, nine people didn't make it off the operating table alive. For the remaining wounded, the post-operative situation wasn't too good either. This couldn't be helped; these more than one hundred people had been injured for more than ten days, and their physical strength was consumed greatly. After surgery, the situation naturally couldn't improve immediately. On the first day after surgery, another five wounded died.

Feeling guilt for these wounded who died in surgery was the common mood of these doctors. "If I could pay more attention to that blood vessel, if I could be more careful when making the incision. Then the wounded might very likely have survived."

If a doctor failed to save a patient during surgery and felt no guilt at all, just thinking "I have done my best; this patient's death is purely bad luck," this kind of doctor is unqualified. The People's Party itself absolutely dared not hand over the lives of soldiers to such cold-blooded doctors. So when training doctors, ideological education in this aspect also kept up. As long as one was willing to study and research diligently, medical skills would always improve constantly. But if medical ethics were corrupted, this doctor was basically hopeless.

As the Political Commissar, even if these comrades' "humanitarian spirit" made everyone more tolerant of the Guangfu Society's rudeness, Huang Zhengchun still thought this was a good thing.

When the People's Party meeting reached its end, the Guangfu Society meeting was proceeding with difficulty. Tao Chengzhang and most of those Guangfu Society cadres had a consensus: when attacking Nanjing, try to have professional military hospitals as much as possible. The dare-to-die warriors were the true ace of the Guangfu Society now. Since they didn't even fear death, it meant these people must be thrown into battles extremely close to death. Even ignoring the morale-boosting effect of military hospitals, just out of their own conscience, once these dare-to-die warriors who were the backbone of the Guangfu Society were injured, they had to be treated with all efforts. The Guangfu Society didn't have a military medical team like the People's Party themselves, and they were also desperately looking for doctors in Shanghai. By the time the People's Party medical team basically completed the treatment work and prepared to leave for Anhui, they still hadn't found any surgeons willing to come to Hangzhou from Shanghai.

Tao Chengzhang didn't realize the contradictions between the People's Party and the Guangfu Society based on deep levels; what he cared about was the comprehensive conflict on the surface.

Before the surgery, Tao Chengzhang strictly ordered Guangfu Society cadres that regardless of whether they could be saved, they were not allowed to trouble the People's Party medical team. The Guangfu Society cadres also agreed. No one died in the early trauma treatment, and the condition of the wounded improved. But suddenly a dozen died during and after surgery. These people were fine originally, only dying after accepting surgery. The relatives of the deceased naturally couldn't accept it under the huge psychological gap.

The medical team's prior notice was interpreted as a reason to shirk responsibility. Actually, there were also medical disturbances in these years. When patients from big families saw doctors, if the doctor didn't cure them, it wasn't rare for the big family to make a scene and make the doctor lose his family fortune. It wasn't unheard of to lose one's life. In this Battle of Hangzhou, Guangfu Society cadres also rushed at the front of the attack team, and the injured cadres were not just one or two. Six of the dead were cadres, and their relatives in the Guangfu Society were also cadres. These people dared not rush into the wounded camp to attack the medical team, but they dared to point at the medical team and curse loudly.

Tao Chengzhang wasn't clear that the People's Party medical team actually didn't care about such things. They could understand the mood of relatives and comrades-in-arms unable to accept separation by death immediately. "Five stages of grief": denial, anger, bargaining, depression, to acceptance. This was psychological knowledge that surgeons generally had to learn.

Chen Ke loved watching American dramas. Although there was no data and empirical support, these theories were popular in the West for a long time. Chen Ke also accepted this kind of knowledge that could be used as guidance in reality.

What Tao Chengzhang worried about most was that this kind of accusation would lead the People's Party medical team never to cooperate with the Guangfu Society next time. Although Tao Chengzhang's analysis of the matter was widely different from the People's Party's cognition, the result coincided somewhat.