February 1, 1908, was New Year's Eve. The sound of firecrackers in the capital had not stopped since morning, and the sporadic popping from children playing continued endlessly. Visiting relatives and friends was a major activity during this important festival. For official circles, these visits were even more critical. Paying respects to superiors in the same faction and exchanging gifts with those of shared interests turned normal social interactions into laden gestures within the bureaucracy.

Yuan Shikai had been "ill" these past few days. Although gifts and receptions could be handled by his chief steward, the operations of the Yuan household had not ceased despite his illness. However, "closing the door to guests" on the grounds of illness was itself a rare signal. The official circles immediately reacted. Some said Minister Yuan was disheartened; others said he was starting to bide his time; some even claimed Yuan Shikai was too ashamed to put on airs after the Beiyang Army's defeat. Various plausible and implausible guesses emerged, but none were correct.

Despite learning that the People's Party had released Wang Shizhen, Yuan Shikai dared not fully believe Chen Ke would show such sincerity until Wang Shizhen truly returned to Beijing. Only when he saw Wang Shizhen appear before him with his own eyes did Yuan Shikai relax. A smile inevitably appeared on his face.

Seeing Yuan Shikai's sincere smile, even a man of such self-control as Wang Shizhen felt his eyes moisten. Stepping forward, Wang Shizhen gave Yuan Shikai a solemn military salute. "Yuan Gong, I have failed your expectations."

Yuan Shikai stepped forward and took Wang Shizhen's hand. "Victory and defeat are common in war. It is enough that Pinqing has returned. When you were captured, I was extremely worried, fearing Chen Ke might have laid a vicious hand on you. Pinqing, come, sit down quickly."

Although moved, Wang Shizhen did not indulge in sentimental posturing. As soon as he sat down with Yuan Shikai, he spoke anxiously, "Yuan Gong, if you wish to rebuild the 3rd Division, I fear Chen Ke has already made arrangements against it."

Yuan Shikai had intended to ask about Wang Shizhen's hardships on the road and whether he had suffered in captivity, but hearing this, his face immediately turned serious. "How does Pinqing know this?"

Repeating his conversation with Chen Ke to Yuan Shikai, Wang Shizhen analyzed Chen Ke's arrangements for the Beiyang captives. Wang Shizhen had remained silent throughout his journey back to Beijing, repeatedly turning over the words he had heard, trying to discern the People's Party's true intent. He now had his own ideas. "Yuan Gong, regardless of whether Chen Ke is sincere or fierce, he currently seeks to win over the hearts of the people in Anhui, so he urgently needs steel. He likely knows you wish to rebuild the 3rd Division as soon as possible, so his earlier words were all strictures; the real killer move is how he treats the 3rd Division. He separated the officers and soldiers and provided medical treatment. The goal is to make an issue out of this..."

Check Yuan Shikai nodded slightly as he listened. He indeed wanted to gather the defeated soldiers of the 3rd Division to rebuild it as soon as possible. But the People's Party's actions exceeded his expectations. After capturing nearly ten thousand officers and soldiers of the 3rd Division and the 13th Mixed Brigade, they neither slaughtered nor released them, but temporarily detained them. This completely disrupted Yuan Shikai's initial plan. Hearing Wang Shizhen's reasoning, Yuan Shikai felt relieved; even after capture, Wang Shizhen had not lost his usual calm.

If Chen Ke could hear Wang Shizhen's analysis at this moment, he would find that different perspectives could lead to the same deduction. Chen Ke's policy toward captives was completely plagiarized from Party history. The only difference was that Chen Ke knew he couldn't convert the Beiyang officers and soldiers into "Liberation Warriors" right now, so he naturally treated these Beiyang soldiers as "bombs" to use against the enemy.

Wang Shizhen happened to have the same view. He believed the People's Party separated officers from soldiers to strip the officers of their command and then "confuse the military mind." As a high-ranking Beiyang officer, Wang Shizhen knew his own army well. If thousands of released Beiyang soldiers returned to Beijing without officers leading them, it would be impossible for them not to cause major trouble. If that happened, Yuan Shikai would not only fail to rebuild the 3rd Division but would also lose significant control over the other five Beiyang divisions.

Yuan Shikai rose to power through military merit. Although Wang Shizhen's analysis didn't penetrate the core of the People's Party's operations, it was enough for Yuan Shikai. A major defeat for the Beiyang Army directly shook Yuan Shikai's foundation. The young cadres of the People's Party had a common problem, influenced by Chen Ke's knowledge: everyone couldn't help but want to "take the long view." Chairman Chen was far-sighted and profound, so the comrades naturally felt they had to consider problems from a "grand perspective." Therefore, the People's Party generally believed the overall political danger was the greatest threat facing Yuan Shikai. But Yuan Shikai truly didn't think so. When the "pillar" supporting him—the Beiyang Army—suffered a heavy blow, the first thing Yuan Shikai had to accomplish was to stabilize the Beiyang Army.

As for Cixi's life or death, or the threats from the Emperor's Party and the Empress's Party, those were surely important. But the Qing Court was not the People's Party, doing things with wind and fire. To topple a Grand Councilor required the support of many people and a long period of maneuvering. But if the Beiyang Army became alienated from Yuan Shikai, his destruction would be immediate.

"Pinqing, so now we just let Chen Ke extort us for a bit?" Yuan Shikai asked. Although extremely unwilling in his heart, Yuan Shikai remained unagitated. Being able to bend and stretch was one of the most important qualities of a power holder.

"Yuan Gong, since Chen Ke is bent on seizing the Hanyang Iron Works, we might as well let him dream for a few days. However, I see Chen Ke is not entirely a delusional man. At least tens of thousands of tons of steel must be let go to him," Wang Shizhen gave an accurate answer.

At this point, Yuan Shikai had no other method. Since Chen Ke wanted to use farm tools to buy over the people, and spring plowing was imminent, Yuan Shikai could imagine his urgency. If Chen Ke felt he couldn't get what he wanted and turned his anger into a direct attack on Yuan Shikai, Yuan Shikai would indeed face great trouble.

Finally, Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen set the Beiyang bottom line: they could provide a portion of steel to Chen Ke as quickly as possible. And in the long run, they would stall Chen Ke regarding the Hanyang Iron Works. But the captured Beiyang officers of the 3rd Division must quickly return to their captive units and leave the People's Party's control in a "dignified manner" as soon as possible.

"Pinqing, between Yan Fu and Chen Ke, who actually holds power?" Yuan Shikai asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Wang Shizhen knew this meant Yuan Shikai was preparing to resolve himself to cooperate with Chen Ke. The real meaning was whether Chen Ke was reliable. If the true wielder of the People's Party was Yan Fu, Yuan Shikai could have enough trust in him. Whether in terms of integrity or ability to execute agreements, even if Yan Fu was an enemy, he could largely be trusted.

"Yuan Gong, the leader of the People's Party is indeed Chen Ke. Yan Fu currently only manages the navy and the Ministry of Education," Wang Shizhen gave a clear answer.

Hearing this, Yuan Shikai sighed slightly. He still had a great distrust of Chen Ke's credibility. Yuan Shikai had seen too many villains who got lucky; they would always maximize the use of the "chips" in their hands. Breaking agreements and eating their words were common meals for such people. They had insatiable appetites. Chen Ke was very likely such a person. even if Chen Ke wasn't, he was still a young man. Young people were eager for quick success and profit, and when facing a favorable situation, they would always do something outrageous.

But Yuan Shikai didn't ask "Is Chen Ke reliable?" Whether Chen Ke was reliable or not, the one ultimately deciding to trade with him was Yuan Shikai. If something went wrong, Yuan Shikai had to be responsible for his own decision. After a long silence, Yuan Shikai finally said, "I'll trust Chen Ke this once."

Having made the decision, a negotiator had to be selected. Yuan Shikai felt the current person suitable to negotiate with Chen Ke was Wang Shizhen, but having just escaped the tiger's mouth, it wasn't appropriate to send him back. Just as he was wondering how to raise this with Wang Shizhen, Wang Shizhen spoke up clearly, "Yuan Gong, please let me return to Anhui to negotiate with Chen Ke. Firstly, Chen Ke trusts me somewhat; secondly, after the deal is done, I can organize the troops on the spot and leave Anhui as quickly as possible."

Suppressing his happiness, Yuan Shikai said, "Pinqing, you have worked hard."

After the general framework was determined, the two hammered out some details. Only then did Yuan Shikai ask Wang Shizhen how exactly the defeat happened. As Wang Shizhen detailed the process of the battle with the People's Party, Yuan Shikai's expression changed. Rebel armies were usually rabble, only capable of fighting with the wind at their backs; encountering government troops with strong firepower like the Beiyang Army, they would collapse at the first touch, unable to fight a protracted war.

The People's Party troops could not only hold their own against the Beiyang Army but could also wipe out three thousand Beiyang elites in one fell swoop after a long march. Such combat effectiveness was already above the Beiyang Army. Not to mention, the People's Party had Yan Fu, a naval commander. Wang Shizhen still had lingering fears about the fierce bombardment from the People's Party's river fleet. That the Beiyang Army collapsed so quickly was largely due to the shelling completely disrupting their order. The People's Party's rich experience in siege warfare had been fully utilized.

Frowning, Yuan Shikai remained silent for a long time. The Beiyang Army hadn't been ambushed due to rash advancement, but had been thoroughly crushed in a series of high-level battles. Both Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen were veterans; the battles fought by the People's Party required high-level command ability and a strong grasp of the entire battlefield. From Beiyang's experience, without a large group of extremely capable commanders, even if Chen Ke were Zhuge Liang reborn, he couldn't fight these battles alone.

This led to another question: where did these high-level commanders pop out from? Yuan Shikai absolutely did not believe the People's Party was supported by captured personnel from the Anhui New Army. Yuan Shikai knew the capabilities of the Anhui New Army; if they had such ability, it would have been impossible for Chen Ke to travel a thousand miles and break Anqing City overnight, wiping out the Anhui New Army.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai spoke slowly, "Pinqing, you stay in Xuzhou. No matter what, you must find out exactly what kind of people are under Chen Ke. Looking at it now, Chen Ke is definitely not alone; he must have a large group of people under him."

"Yes." Wang Shizhen thought exactly the same as Yuan Shikai. He had discussed the war with Duan Qirui many times. Although lacking materials on the People's Party, the Beiyang Army was commanded by the two of them. After repeated deductions, they reached a depressing result: once Wang Shizhen brought his troops to merge with Duan Qirui, defeat was only a matter of time. The two couldn't find any possibility of defeating the People's Party. Especially when Wang Shizhen proposed simulating the People's Party's side in a wargame, he found that even if he acted as Chief of Staff, he couldn't command with the People's Party's combat characteristics. that mercury-spilling-on-the-ground fluidity, that tit-for-tat combat when facing strong enemies, and the decisiveness to fight or leave at will. It was definitely not something government troops who had only carried guns for a year could command.

Wang Shizhen never guessed blindly, so he wanted to figure out who his opponent was even more than Yuan Shikai did.

However, these matters of war could be discussed later. Since the basic content was agreed upon, Wang Shizhen set off back to Anhui. Normally, the People's Party detaining nearly ten thousand soldiers of the Beiyang and Jiangbei New Armies would consume a lot of grain daily. This was a heavy burden for the People's Party. Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen actually hoped to drain the People's Party this way. But now, what Beiyang feared most was the People's Party releasing these soldiers, so the People's Party's pressure became something extremely terrifying instead.

Yuan Shikai immediately invited Sheng Xuanhuai. Due to the financial issues of the Hanyang Iron Works, starting from 1906, Sheng Xuanhuai had largely taken over its finances. If Chen Ke insisted on getting some steel first, Sheng Xuanhuai was sufficient to operate this. Sheng Xuanhuai had arrived in Beijing. Despite having many conflicts with Yuan Shikai, Sheng Xuanhuai knew this was not the time to kick someone when they were down. Regarding Yuan Shikai redeeming the Beiyang Army, Sheng Xuanhuai's view was identical to Yuan Shikai's: it must be completed as soon as possible. Sheng Xuanhuai didn't take the opportunity to ask for a price, and Yuan Shikai didn't mention it either. For figures of their level, some things were best left unspoken. Sooner or later, Yuan Shikai and Sheng Xuanhuai would cross paths again, and at that time, Yuan Shikai would certainly repay the loss Sheng Xuanhuai suffered this time. This was the most basic rule.

When Wang Shizhen rushed back to Fengtai County, it was already the third day of the first lunar month. Fengtai County was truly bustling with a festive atmosphere; the streets and alleys were full of people, turning the entire county town into a huge market. Wang Shizhen had no mood to care about this. Chen Ke was already waiting, and a new round of negotiations began immediately. Feng Xu and Shen Zengzhi were absent; Chen Ke, Yan Fu, and Lu Huitian represented the People's Party in talks with the Beiyang plenipotentiary representative, Wang Shizhen.

Regarding the immediate release of captured personnel, Chen Ke agreed. Contrary to Wang Shizhen's expectations, Chen Ke sincerely suggested, "Commander Wang, if you leave with the Beiyang Army, I'm a bit worried there will be chaos when you reach Xuzhou. I feel we might as well divide into two parts. The officers and soldiers of the Jiangbei New Army can return to Xuzhou with Commander Wang first. Once things on the road are prepared, you can then verify and receive the Beiyang Army brothers heading north."

Even knowing Chen Ke's method of releasing in batches was to ensure the Beiyang side wouldn't immediately renege on the deal, Wang Shizhen wasn't angry. Since he hadn't expected the People's Party to be so reasonable beforehand, Wang Shizhen hadn't thought the People's Party would release the Jiangbei New Army first. It wasn't impossible for Wang Shizhen to go as an advance party, but after all, he was a defeated general. Once he went back to formally take charge of the Jiangbei Commander's affairs, putting aside other things, he would first have to submit a memorial awaiting punishment. He wouldn't be able to handle other matters so easily. Pondering for a moment, Wang Shizhen nodded, "That is fine as well. But I fear I cannot wait too long in Xuzhou."

"That is not a problem. As long as Commander Wang can stabilize the local order in Xuzhou so that the Beiyang Army brothers won't disturb the locality when they pass through, it will be fine," Chen Ke replied.

"Wenqing, you are being too generous," Wang Shizhen began to ask about Chen Ke's intentions.

Sure enough, as Wang Shizhen thought, Chen Ke's demands were straightforward. Before the Beiyang Army moved out, the inventory of the Hanyang Iron Works had to be allowed to be taken away by the People's Party. And the steel produced afterward had to be sent to Anhui.

"Agreed." These requests did not exceed Wang Shizhen's bottom line for negotiation.

After the preliminary agreement was reached, Wang Shizhen immediately asked Chen Ke to send ships to the Hanyang Iron Works to pick up the steel now; Sheng Xuanhuai had already settled matters there. Chen Ke agreed on the spot.

This time, Wang Shizhen came as a negotiating representative, and Chen Ke arranged for him to live in the city. But Wang Shizhen requested to go back and stay in prison with Duan Qirui. Chen Ke didn't try to persuade him otherwise; since Wang Shizhen had things to say to Duan Qirui, Chen Ke didn't want to play tricks on such small matters.

Waiting was anxiety-inducing, and Chen Ke didn't invite Wang Shizhen out. Wang Shizhen had already prepared to stay in prison for a month. Unexpectedly, in less than seven days, Chen Ke invited Wang Shizhen out. "Commander Wang, you can begin withdrawing the troops."

"You've already received the steel?" Wang Shizhen was truly surprised, but this was the only reason Chen Ke would agree.

"Got a portion," Chen Ke smiled. "Now, please, Commander Wang, go to Suzhou and take the Jiangbei New Army brothers away. You have so many people eating and drinking every day; if Commander Wang can take the brothers back to Xuzhou a day earlier, we can save ourselves a bit more here."

The withdrawal action began from Suzhou. Returning to Suzhou, Wang Shizhen was truly filled with emotion. When he led troops south from here, he never expected a defeat unlike anything he had ever seen awaiting him. Even more unexpected was that the war would end in such a strange mode.

When the captured officers and soldiers lined up, Wang Shizhen was even more surprised. He had thought only high-ranking officers like himself would receive preferential treatment, while ordinary officers might get a bite to eat. As for the soldiers, naturally, it was fine as long as they didn't starve to death, or even if they did, it didn't matter. And now it was winter, the troops had no winter uniforms. God knows what the Jiangbei New Army subordinates would look like under freezing and starvation.

But seeing the Jiangbei New Army formation with his own eyes, Wang Shizhen knew he was truly wrong. Although one couldn't say they were radiant and in high spirits, the Jiangbei New Army didn't look skeletal or haggard. What surprised Wang Shizhen most was that many New Army soldiers had white gauze wrapped around their heads or bodies; clearly, they had been wounded, but it looked like the injuries were healing. Many New Army officers and soldiers also had burn scars left on their heads and faces. These were the permanent traces left on them by this campaign. Moreover, although this army was a captured defeated army, looking closely, the Jiangbei New Army soldiers had various patches on their clothes, and the washed uniforms could even be called clean. No need to think much, this was definitely taken care of by the People's Party.

Wang Shizhen initially didn't believe the "captive policy" stated by the People's Party, but seeing the facts with his own eyes, he had to believe it. Chen Ke was definitely not a person with the benevolence of a woman; Wang Shizhen firmly believed this. But with these living examples before him, Wang Shizhen couldn't figure out what exactly Chen Ke wanted to get from the defeated soldiers. If it was steel, Chen Ke just needed to treat the Beiyang Army soldiers well. However, this wasn't the time to think in detail. Wang Shizhen had the officers organize the troops, while he himself talked with Pu Guanshui, who had accompanied him, about when he could lead the troops away.

"Commander Wang, to prevent the brothers from being unprepared if they encounter danger on the road, we are gifting you three hundred rifles and ten thousand rounds of ammunition," Pu Guanshui said.

"What?" Wang Shizhen was truly surprised. Wang Shizhen had absolutely no goodwill toward Pu Guanshui, this Beiyang traitor. But he didn't have much malice either. The success Pu Guanshui had achieved now was something Beiyang couldn't give him no matter what. But hearing Pu Guanshui say he would give three hundred rifles for self-defense, Wang Shizhen suspected this Beiyang traitor was making a friendly gesture privately.

"Does Chen Wenqing know about this?" Wang Shizhen asked. Chen Ke hadn't told Wang Shizhen this beforehand.

Pu Guanshui smiled, "This is Chairman Chen's arrangement. However, he felt letting Commander Wang have a bit of surprise might be a good thing."

Although he didn't know what exactly Chen Ke wanted to do, these three hundred rifles were very important to Wang Shizhen. To command the troops now, he could only rely on his official position as Jiangbei Commander. But since everyone in the Jiangbei New Army knew Wang Shizhen was also a captive, the prestige brought by this position was greatly discounted. But with these three hundred rifles, Wang Shizhen had confidence. He also had enough ability to suppress his subordinates.

After a moment of silence, Wang Shizhen replied, "Please tell Chen Ke, I accept his kindness."

There were several phalanxes in the send-off team, mostly People's Party troops. As a defeated army, the Jiangbei New Army absolutely had no goodwill toward the People's Party troops. But when passing a group of People's Party medical corps wearing white coats, many Jiangbei New Army officers and soldiers revealed grateful expressions. Because there were officers in the ranks, they dared not say anything. But when the doctors and nurses of the medical corps waved goodbye to them, many injured officers and soldiers actually waved back. They knew their lives had been saved by these People's Party medics wearing strange white clothes. If not for them, the wounded soldiers would absolutely not have survived in the autumn rain and the subsequent winter. The wounded soldiers received better care, their conditions perhaps even better than the uninjured New Army soldiers. As enemies, it was duty to kill each other on the battlefield. There was nothing to say about that. But as captives, they were treated, treated completely as human beings, not consumed as expendable items in the army. The Jiangbei New Army never expected to be treated like this. The gratitude was indeed sincere.

Wang Shizhen was on horseback; from his high vantage point, he took all this in. Although he didn't know the full mind of the People's Party, Wang Shizhen could guarantee that if these people had to fight the People's Party again next time, they probably wouldn't fight to the death first. If surrounded and without a chance, if the People's Party asked these New Army soldiers to surrender, they would immediately surrender.

"Chen Ke is truly greatly treacherous and evil," Wang Shizhen couldn't help but think. A person who could perform such acts of great mercy and compassion must be a hero. Since ancient times, heroes have not been kind; Chen Ke's deep planning and foresight even left Wang Shizhen unable to think of a counter-strategy. The People's Party was brave and skillful in battle; if they were just press-ganged men, they would crumple before the People's Party. But if he were to train another Jiangbei New Army, Wang Shizhen couldn't scrape together that much silver even if he smashed his pots and sold the iron. The only thing he could rely on was this captured New Army. And through the captive policy, Chen Ke not only effectively dissolved the hatred of the New Army but also made this New Army far easier to surrender than before. If Wang Shizhen led troops to fight again, he feared he would lose even more miserably than this time.

Wang Shizhen didn't want to watch anymore. He spurred his horse toward Xuzhou. This territory of the People's Party had given Wang Shizhen defeats and blows he had never encountered in his life; he didn't want to stay here a moment longer.